


Light and tinkling; like a bell.

by LenaLawlipop



Category: Guardians of Time - Marianne Curley
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Biting, Consensual Kink, Consensual Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Found Family, Marking, Moving In Together, New Year's Fluff, No 4th book canon included, POV Isabel, Porn with Feelings, Possessive Behavior, Post-Canon, and also completely unrelated to the porn, did this start as a drabble and I got carried away? Yes it did XD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 07:54:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 37,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28467852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LenaLawlipop/pseuds/LenaLawlipop
Summary: "You know, they say that, whatever it is you're doing when the year starts, you will be doing by the time it ends," I whisper. I can feel his smile against my cheek."Do they, now," he muses, and I can't tell if he's truly asking, or if he cares at all. Perhaps because he knows full well what I want."Mhmm," I nod. I take his champagne flute from him, placing it next to mine, forgotten in the tray. "And I know exactly what I plan to start my year with."
Relationships: Arkarian/Isabel Becket, Jimmy/Coral, Matt Becket/Neriah Gabriel, Shaun Roberts/Laura Roberts
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT STUFF TO NOTE
> 
> \- I'm not an idiot, I know they're in summer down there in Australia. I literally just needed a comfort fic set in a winter-y New Years, and I also couldn't decide what exact New Years traditions I wanted them to follow so.... I made a mash-up. Don't overthink it too much xDDD
> 
> \- This all started because of [the last one of these prompts](https://witterprompts.tumblr.com/post/151388922409/i-cant-read-a-single-thing-youve-written-id). It was supposed to be a drabble that I started months ago because I had writer's block. It's New Years, it's 3am of January 1st, and I'm too invested in this to go to bed without posting it. Yes, all four chapters at once. I have no patience left for this one :'D
> 
> \- To anyone who knows I wrote, and is waiting for me to post, the Hanahaki AU - sorry, this was seasonally appropriate :'D Maybe, the gods willing, spring will force me to finally finish the deadly flower flu fic (?)
> 
> Ok PSA done, pls continue XDD Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter stuff I want to talk about:
> 
> \- Everyone in this fic is >18 now, don't @ me with any underage concerns, neither for drinking nor having sex (not that this fandom is prone to that? It'd be a bit ironic considering the main ship has a comically large age gap, but whatev)
> 
> \- I headcanon that Shaun and Laura are disgustingly domestic and Ethan has no respite of seeing people in love in his life. If you think a normal person would be even more depressed after losing their soulmate and then having to stand their parents AND their entire friend group, being lovey-dovey with their partners... join me in the club of people who stan Ethan so hard it's difficult to put into words. I just think the boi is neat.

# Chapter 1

"Careful, someone messed up the eggnog and it's a bit strong," Jimmy warms me as I get myself a glass of eggnog.

"A lot a bit," Matt adds. "Don't drink too much."

I mentally count to ten, but by the time I reach ten, I'm no less frustrated. I look up, and Ethan is eyeing me warily, perhaps thinking I'm going to throw my cup at my brother's face. I've considered it, not gonna lie.

"Why don't you go say that to Arkarian?" I throw at him instead. "You know, his body is also eighteen, and I have yet to see anyone tell him to be careful about the stupid eggnog."

Both him and Jimmy flush rapidly, and I feel slightly vindicated by Ethan and Arkarian's laughter. Ethan shakes his head as he gets himself a cup as well.

"If anything, I'd be more concerned about him. You've been eating all the appetizers," he pokes fun at me, and I snort.

"I'm _fine_. I'm the healer, so really, why is anybody worried? I can get myself sober faster than you can say the word 'sober'," I mumble. Mom, who walks by with a tray of something or other, laughs.

"Someone will never know what a hangover feels like," she muses, and I tilt my head in consideration.

"I mean. Probably," I shrug. "It's alright, some things I can live without."

Thankfully, they drop the topic, and I walk away from the eggnog table as soon as I can. Dillon and Neriah are playing a game in the living room, and I go sit with them for a while, vaguely aware that Arkarian follows me. Ethan stays behind, but I know he'll come along when he's found something to eat. Dillon smiles easily at us when he sees us.

"Heya, Bells," he offers me the controller. "Wanna play?"

"I'm good, it's okay."

"Neriah is actually good at this," he grumbles. "It's no fun to lose all the time."

"Won't hurt you to have someone keep your ego in check," I pat his shoulder, and he laughs goodnaturedly. Neriah grins at me.

"I wouldn't mind a real opponent, if you're in for a game later," she offers, and I laugh as well. I nod.

"Maybe later."

"Do you play?" Dillon asks, but he's not looking at either of us, and we all turn around to look at Arkarian, who has walked up behind us. He shakes his head.

"I've seen Ethan play before, but I can't say I have."

"Heresy," Ethan dictates as he enters the living room. "The ultimate betrayal. Bells, you would help us, wouldn't you? I've tried the gods know how many times to get him to play with me."

"We'll make a gamer out of him yet," Neriah snorts. I giggle.

"You say that like I am all that good at convincing people to play games. Last time I tried to get you to play something, you flat out refused because you said I'd beat you all the time," I remind Ethan. He groans.

"True."

Arkarian makes a face anyway, like he knows we're going to gang up on him later. He's... probably not wrong. I wonder if I could really convince him, if I could make it into some strange sexy game like everyone keeps implying, but I stop thinking about it soon enough. My thoughts are shielded, but I haven't figured out yet if Matt and Neriah can still hear me, and I refuse to be any more flustered than I need to be.

"I can do something better than that though," I muse to myself, looking out of the window. The only one who seems to hear me is Arkarian, who raises an eyebrow warily. "It's New Year's Eve," I mumble, offering him a hand to pull him closer. He lets me, looking out the window like he's trying to figure out what I'm getting at. "And all it's doing is raining," I hint at.

"Ah," he laughs, quietly, and his shoulders shake with the effort of keeping quiet. "You'd be better off asking Matt or Neriah about that, though."

"But I'm not asking Matt or Neriah, am I?" I push a little. He smiles, tilting his head in a way I've come to interpret as 'I really shouldn't say yes but I'm going to'. I squeeze his fingers. "Please? Just for a little bit."

"Fine," he breathes.

He steals a kiss before looking out of the window. He still shakes his head with a huff, but soon enough, the rain slows down a little, and starts to turn into... snow. Neriah squeals.

"Oh!"

"Hm?" Matt looks as well, and snorts, but doesn't say anything. Arkarian shrugs.

"Cute," Ethan snickers.

"Well, I'll be damned," we hear Shaun say from the kitchen. We all laugh.

"It's snowing!" mom says, popping her head into the living room. Her smile fades as she considers us. "This is one you kids's fault, isn't it?"

"Maybe," Matt murmurs, smiling mysteriously. Mom narrows her eyes. Laura and Anneliese walk behind her, curious as well. "What? It's New Year's Eve!"

"Are you even allowed to mess with the weather like that?" she asks, and Matt huffs.

"Why don't you ask Arkarian that?" he offers, much like I had before. We all laugh again, and mom shakes her head, dropping the subject and going away. Laura follows her, though Anneliese glances at Arkarian knowingly before leaving as well. He grins at her. "Hey, it worked," Matt snorts, eyebrows raised in my direction. He pretends to tip a hat, and while it makes me laugh, Neriah pinches him.

"Did you do it?" she asks, and he shakes his head.

"No, it _was_ me," Arkarian admits. "I can stop, if you'd like..."

"I can make it permanent for you, instead," Matt offers, and Arkarian nods. The change in the weather is imperceptible, but I can feel Arkarian's skin going back to a normal temperature as he stops using his powers. I rub his fingers gently, and he squeezes my hand. "There."

"Thanks."

"It's cute, apparently," Matt shrugs. Ethan flickers a finger at his hair.

"Shut up, it is."

Matt freezes for a moment, but he offers a smile, and Ethan grins. Arkarian looks between them, and I wonder what it must look like from the outside. Dillon and I are getting to see Matt and Ethan recover a friendship we'd been there to see years ago, but Neriah and Arkarian must be kind of confused about their current dynamic. It has taken them the better part of a year to stop arguing about the little things, and only recently have they started to truly hang out together as friends. Matt and Neriah's duties keep them away for long periods of time, but whenever they are here, Matt and Ethan have been spending time together, truly starting to become friends again. It surprised all of us, Matt included, but after what happened with Rochelle, Ethan really leaned into his friends, yes, Matt included. He hasn't told me what they talk about, but I can guess. They both have a past with her, and she has hurt them both. Both loved her, and she left both of them in the end. I return Ethan's smile when he catches my eye, but I go back to looking out of the window until I gather my thoughts. It's still so recent, and I'm still in awe of how quickly he has recovered, really... He has bad days, but in general, he's... better.

For a few minutes, there's silence, save for the sounds from the game. It only lasts until Neriah wins again, however, and Dillon throws the controller onto the coffee table, laughing easily, but clearly frustrated. Matt picks it up, and Arkarian leaves the window to perch himself on the arm of the sofa to watch. Matt doesn't even flinch, but Ethan and I cross a pleased glance. Those two have also become good friends in the past year, which goes to show how much Matt's new position has changed him. Ethan joins me this time.

"It's still so weird to see Arkarian here," he confesses, taking me by surprise. I smile, and nod, but he isn't finished. "I mean, Christ... my _mom_ knows him. It feels odd, you know? I've..."

"He was your dirty little secret for years," I summarize for him, which makes him blush alarmingly quickly, and makes everyone in the room laugh, except for Dillon, who hasn't heard us and can't read his thoughts. I pat his shoulder. "Easy. I know what you mean. My _mom_ knows about him, too," I remind him. He throws me a dirty glare.

"I hate you," he announces, bumping his shoulder with mine, softly. I chuckle, putting my cup on the windowsill to avoid spilling it on myself.

"You know I didn't mean it like that. And I wouldn't really mind if you..."

"No," he emphasizes, almost shuddering. "I love him, but not like that," he rolls his eyes. "I met him when I was four, Bells. He was like... I don't know."

"A parent figure?" I murmur, turning to the window to give him a bit more space. He shrugs.

"I guess...?" he sighs. "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe like an older brother."

"Fair enough."

"I'm glad he has you," he adds, even more quietly. I don't have to be a Truthseer to know that his thoughts must be shielded now. He doesn't often talk about feelings, and he probably doesn't want the rest snooping in this kind of conversation. No one seems to mind.

"I'm glad to have him as well," I offer, hoping he'll say something else. He smiles.

"He's been really quiet lately about you. I'm sure it has to do with... well, Rochelle," he says, even more quietly. "But everything is alright with you two, right? I'm not... missing something?"

"Ethan, of course not," I press my arm to his as we both lean into the window. He sighs, some tension bleeding out of his shoulders as he leans into me as well. "We're perfectly fine. Arkarian isn't a fan of PDA, and honestly, surrounded by my family, neither am I. Matt will tease the living hell out of us, and Jimmy is to Arkarian what you are to me, apparently, so he’ll tease the hell out of Arkarian... not to mention my _mother_ , who will start to wonder what kind of wedding dress I should wear to our hypothetical wedding. Thanks, but no thanks."

This, at the very least, makes him laugh. There's a hint of tears to his eyes, and I look away once more. He doesn't move to dry them.

"I'm looking forward to battling Jimmy to death to be his best man," he says. Arkarian snorts, but I can't tell if he's heard him or if he's talking to someone else, not without turning around. Ethan squints at their reflections in the window, but doesn't comment.

"I don't have the luxury of options," I muse. "Not that it's very relevant right now."

"Worry about the present and all that," he agrees. I exhale, amused.

"And all that," I repeat.

I clink my cup against his before taking another sip. It's no longer warm, and it's still stronger than I normally like it, but it's good. Ethan leans a little more into me, sort of resting his head on mine, and I let him. I wonder what he's thinking about, but he doesn't say anything, so I nudge him a little.

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?" I ask him. He looks at me through the window, but it's not quite dark enough outside that I can decipher his expression.

"Yeah. Just... thinking."

"Care to share?"

"Arkarian. You."

"Should I be worried?" I try to joke, and it works, because he chuckles.

"Not unless I should!" he pulls away to drink from his cup again. "Nah, just... Nevermind."

"I won't judge," I remind him. He hesitates.

"I don't want to make the day sad," he murmurs. I turn around to look at him directly then, and he bites his lips.

"Sorry," I whisper. "I won't pry."

"It's a happy sort of day," he says. "You should go be with him, you don't have to keep apart for my sake, that's all."

"Didn't I just tell you it's not about you?" I ask, but I know what he means. I tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "It's okay, Ethan. We want to respect your feelings too, and we're fine. Really. We're not holding ourselves back as much as you seem to think. Besides, even in a small house, there are plenty of empty spaces we could find if we wanted some privacy. This is my house, after all," I remind him. He grins, nods, but nudges me away after a moment anyway.

"Go before Neriah makes your brother cry," he murmurs.

He's not entirely wrong, and I laugh, but I know he just needs a moment. I pick up my cup as I walk back to the rest. There's no space on the sofa anymore, as Dillon has taken the other arm, so I force my way in between Neriah and Matt, which makes everyone laugh. I eventually end up sitting half into Matt's lap, but he doesn't seem to mind. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye, smiling.

"This reminds me of sharing a seat on the bus as kids," he comments.

"Except I had a growth spurt before you did, so you usually sat on top of me," I reminisce. He laughs, and immediately dies on screen.

"Oh, how the tables have turned," he muses. I take the controller away from him.

"Yeah. Remember when you used to pass the difficult levels for me? How the tables have turned indeed."

He laughs again, but takes the chance to stand up, depositing me on the now empty seat, and gesturing to Arkarian in case he wants to take his place. I look at him, shrug.

"Come on then," I offer. They exchange places, and this time I sit more comfortably, fully on Arkarian's lap. Neriah starts the game again. "I'll hurt anyone who distracts me," I announce, already focusing on the game.

Arkarian laughs, and the soft vibration of his chest against my back is distraction enough. I sigh. Should have guessed. Neriah grins, possibly because she's reading my thoughts and knows she has an advantage, or perhaps because Matt is, too, and he's rolling his eyes exaggeratedly.

"You're so annoying," I tell my brother, sticking my tongue at him briefly, but after that, the game is on, as they say, and I focus on not letting Neriah win this time.

It's a close match, but I manage to win, barely so. She laughs, delighted.

"Well, finally someone who can play," she grins. "Rematch?"

"Sure."

This time, Ethan joins us mid-game, and I take advantage of Neriah's brief distraction to win. She determines it unfair, so I let her play against me for a final third time. She grumbles as she loses again.

"Okay, so much for being good at this game," she whines. I laugh.

"I've had a lot of practice. Ethan is very good too."

"Oh? You two should play, then!"

"Sure."

Ethan seems to be in a much better mood as we play, and we match each other, two-to-two. I grin as I win the last match, but I stand up to stretch and pick up my mug once more. I hand Arkarian the controller, and he takes it, eyebrows raised. Anneliese, who has joined us while I played against Ethan, laughs at his predicament.

"You really thought you'd manage to stay out of the games?" I laugh, breathless after a good stretch. "Nice try. Even my mom can't argue her way out of this, you'll see."

"Speaking of, where's Jimmy?" Matt frowns. "He's usually here by now."

"Don't snoop on mom and Jimmy," I remind him, grabbing his sleeve as he starts for the door. He rolls his eyes.

"Fine, old fashioned yelling it is," he takes a breath, and yells. "Mom! Jimmy!!"

"Yikes," I sigh.

"Moment!" mom calls back.

Matt shrugs.

"We'll get her later, then."

"It's fine, she knows she has to," I pat his arm. "Laura has been warned, too. I'm gonna go get more food."

"Bring back something," he asks, and I nod. "We'll make sure Ethan doesn't bully Arkarian too much," he adds. I can't help but snort.

"Ethan? He wouldn't, he's been wanting to play videogames with Arkarian for over a decade," I mumble. They all hear me, and while Ethan blushes a bit, he can't deny it, and he grins.

"How is this not bullying me, again?" Arkarian asks, but he's clearly amused. I tilt my head.

"We'll bully you with our collective affection for you, oh no, poor Arkarian," I mock.

I leave the room before he can answer, and I can hear him groan, and say something that sounds like 'Fiiiiiine' as he clicks the controller's buttons. I don't have to look to know what Ethan's face looks like, and I sigh in relief. I don't like seeing him so down, and I definitely don't want him to start avoiding Arkarian and I.

Laura is in the kitchen, humming to herself as she arranges cookies on trays. Shaun is helping her, and I stop briefly before I interrupt them. I announce myself soon enough, though. It feels like eavesdropping, even if they're not even talking to each other. I wonder if... I wonder if that's what Arkarian and I look like when we're alone together. Shaun looks up as I knock on the doorframe, and smiles. Laura smiles too, brighter than I've ever seen her before, as she finishes placing a new tray on the oven.

"Hey," I murmur, unwilling to break the gentle atmosphere they have going on. "Can I help with that?"

"You can help by taking these to the living room, where a bunch of teen boys will demolish them," Laura huffs, amused. "Honestly, you'd think we don't feed them!"

"They will tell you they're growing, but that's just a convenient excuse," I agree. She giggles.

"I, for one, am happy to see Ethan eating normally again," Shaun murmurs, handing me a tin of cookies that have already cooled down. Laura smiles at him lovingly, so much that I almost understand what Ethan means about Arkarian and I.

"Ethan is very strong," she whispers. "And it took me a long time, but... We're both getting better, love. We're going to be okay."

Shaun doesn't answer, but he pulls on her waist to pull her closer, press a kiss to her temple, and I avert my eyes. They laugh at me.

"Go feed those kids," Shaun tells me gently. "And tell Arkarian he's not allowed not to have some."

"He's not growing though!" I laugh, and Laura giggles again. Shaun rolls his eyes.

"Don't let him use that excuse, then."

"He wouldn't want to hurt Laura's feelings, I'm sure," I tell them, conspiratorially. It makes them laugh.

"Good to know you know him that well," he says, and I grin as I leave them alone.

Ethan is very gently destroying Arkarian in game, and he pauses it as I come back.

"Your parents are disgustingly domestic," I announce, and he bursts out laughing. He nods.

"The worst. I can't even complain, what with my mom finally getting better and all. Are those cookies?"

"Ah, yes. They told me to 'go feed those boys', and that 'Arkarian isn't allowed not to have some cookies'. No excuses about 'not growing anymore', or something."

"I'm _not_ though," he laughs, but he picks up a cookie without complaint.

"Neither am I, but cookies are cookies are cookies," I shrug, placing the tin on the coffee table and pulling back before everyone's hands are fighting for a cookie. "Besides, Laura looks so happy I'd feel bad if we didn't actually eat them."

He looks at me as I rearrange myself on his lap again, deadpan, but eventually he sighs. He picks up another cookie.

"I need to learn to say no," he mumbles against my hair, so quietly I'm surprised the others hear him. They laugh, but he ignores them in favor of pressing a kiss to my cheek. I grin wider.

"You've been doing just fine saying no to games until now."

"Not anymore, apparently," he rolls his eyes, but takes the controller again, and nods to Ethan, who un-pauses the game.

Arkarian loses, predictably, but he's a good sport about it. They play another round, and he's quick to understand the mechanics. I'm not surprised, but I _am_ impressed. Ethan looks like he's having fun, and for a little while, the game moves the conversation along. Everyone seems to want to backseat for Arkarian, who tries his best to do as they tell him. If nothing else, he's good at ignoring their overlapping commentary when it becomes too much. I could probably add to it, but I'm happy to lean into his arms, eat cookies and watch him play. I don't think I have ever seen Arkarian surrounded by so many people, and I know I'm not alone in thinking that. Everyone is talking about the game, but they keep glancing at him, almost as if he was about to disappear into thin air.

Mom and Jimmy come into the room a little later, and Jimmy gasps, possibly shocked. Arkarian looks up at him pleadingly, but all Jimmy does is shoo Ethan away and steal the controller from him, reassuring Arkarian that he himself sucks at the game anyway. We all agree, he does. Case in point, Arkarian manages to win. He looks quietly pleased, and Jimmy doesn't even bother hiding his amusement. He does win the next round, but it's a close match. I offer to play against Arkarian a couple of times, but they all boo the idea almost before I finish speaking. I roll my eyes.

"If the fact that I can eat half this tin of cookies on my own hasn't scared Arkarian off, I _highly_ doubt that videogame mastery is going to do it," I mumble, to which my mom agrees, taking the cookies away from me. "Moooooom...."

"Leave some for the rest," she admonishes. I snort.

"I have only had two, I was joking, please give me another cookie," I plead, and she laughs.

"Leave space for dinner, Isabel."

"Meh."

Arkarian laughs. He steals Jimmy's controller and hands it to me.

"Go ahead. I don't really mind, you don't have to go easy on me."

"Don't regret that later," I warn him, and he shrugs.

He holds his ground decently enough that I tell him so, but I win easily, twice. I show him a couple of tricks on a third try, and I let him test them until he wins. He hums, contemplative, but I have no idea what he's truly thinking about.

"Alright, do I have to play with anyone else or can I stop now?" he asks after a moment, looking around the room. Anneliese is quick to shake her head, to which he bows in thanks, making her laugh, and Dillon shrugs, seemingly not caring either way.

"Shaun?" Jimmy calls loudly. "Do you want to play against Arkarian?"

"Nah, he'll destroy me like everyone else does!" comes the amused reply.

"He's only learned to play today though!"

"Your point?!"

Ethan laughs.

"My dad is notoriously bad at videogames," he says. "Don't worry about him. If Arkarian can play against Isabel, he can destroy my dad no problem."

"Awesome," Arkarian says, in a way that suggests he couldn't care less. He tosses his controller to Jimmy. "Here you go."

Jimmy laughs, but doesn't argue. I look at Arkarian as he pushes on my waist gently to get me to stand up. He stretches as he stands up as well.

"I'm gonna go see if I can help around," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my cheek as he passes by my side toward the door. I nod, mentally translating that into 'I need to be alone for a minute'.

I don't mind. I haven't known him for as long as Ethan or Jimmy have, but I know him well enough by now to know when he's reached his quota of talking for a while. I hope we haven't been too much, but... He walks away, and I can hear him talking to Shaun and Laura in the kitchen, so I assume it's just the sheer volume of attention he's been getting here. I tune back to the group, however, to find they're all looking at me. Matt frowns, and I'm quick to reassure them.

"He's fine. It's fine. Come on, mom hasn't played yet," I hand her my controller, and pick up my mug instead. It's cold by now, but it's alright. I sip at it.

"Go," she muses, nodding at the door. I look toward it, confused, until I realize she means Arkarian. I shake my head.

"Give him a little space. He's not used to being the center of attention, that's all," I mumble back, despite the fact that he isn't here, and that everyone hears me anyway. Understanding colors their expressions. They don't insist again.

#

It's not until mom and Jimmy excuse themselves to go start dinner a while later that I realize how long it's been. I frown as they leave.

"Is Arkarian still in the kitchen?" I ask. Jimmy pauses by the doorframe, frowns, and shakes his head.

"Not that I can see."

"I'll go find him."

"No rush," says Neriah gently, and winks when I turn to look at her. I smile at Matt's theatrical eye roll, but he waves a hand in dismissal, so I take off knowing they won't expect us back anytime soon.

While there are a bunch of empty rooms, there aren't exactly a lot of places to _hide_. I check downstairs first, including the guest room, but he isn't here. I check the guest's bathroom, but he isn't there either. He isn't a stranger to the house, he's stayed over a few times, so I'm not exactly surprised to find him in the bathroom Matt and I share, upstairs. He's... reading. I quickly recognize the sci-fi book that Matt had left in the bathroom a while ago. I knock on the doorframe, since the door is ajar. He looks up, mildly confused, and then his expression quickly shifts to sheepish.

"Sorry, lost track of time," he starts. I shake my head.

"It's alright. Is everything okay?"

He nods, in silence. He glances at the pages once more before leaving the book back where it was, above some towels in the embedded shelves next to the bathtub.

"Interesting book," he mumbles.

"It's Matt's," I shrug.

"Right."

"Arkarian?" I ask again when he doesn't quite meet my eye. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," he sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Just... a bit much. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stay away that long... has it been long?"

"Not too much, it's alright. Mom and Jimmy are going to start dinner, Laura and Shaun are probably still baking. She brought over a lot of cookie dough."

"I see."

"Come on. We're not really expected downstairs anyway," I tell him, nodding toward my room. He follows me, smiles as I throw myself on my bed, stretching after having been squished on a corner of the sofa for the better part of an hour. He closes the door before sitting next to me. "You're not mad about the game thing, right?"

"No, of course not," he laughs. "Would have been happy not to be the center of attention, but it's alright, just a bit tiring after a while."

"Alright."

"Ethan had a ton of fun, too, didn't he?" he smiles gently. "He's not really all that subtle."

"He looks up to you more than anyone else," I grin. "It's kind of adorable."

"Hmm," he agrees. "I remember when I first met him, it kind of scared me. It's a big responsibility, you know? I had... interacted with kids before, I guess, but it had been a few centuries since I'd really had to deal with kids, and even then, they weren't my apprentices... they were just... well, slaves," he shrugs. "Teaching Ethan was... an experience."

"I can't even imagine."

"I wouldn't say it's akin to having a child, gods know there's a world of difference... But I care for Ethan in a very special way," he smiles. "It's been nice to see him so carefree today."

"It is, isn't it? I'm glad he's having fun."

"What did he tell you before, when you were by the window?" he asks me suddenly, and he sounds concerned.

"Not much. He was... worried, I guess. That we were keeping apart from each other for his sake," I turn to look at him, and he seems to know what I mean, because he sighs. He runs a hand through his hair again, combing it to one side.

"It really isn't about him, but I guess I understand why he'd think that," he agrees. I nod.

"I told him as much. I think he gets it, but, you know... It can't be easy, being surrounded by all of us... I mean, there's Dillon, but, you know," I shrug. "Can't be easy."

"Right."

"Don't fret," I plead. "That's exactly what Ethan is worried about."

"Fair enough," he admits with another sigh. "I guess I'm used to worrying about him in some capacity. First his father, then his mom wouldn't get better, then his best friend decided to hate him because a girl chose him over Ethan... and then, well, she died."

"He hasn't had it easy," I grimace. "But he's really strong. I honestly don't know if I would be holding up as well as he is, if..."

"Me neither."

At a loss for words, I pull him down with me to cuddle. He lets me, intertwining his legs with mine as he pulls me closer, and I breathe against his chest. His heart beats steady under my palm, I don't need my powers to tell. His presence is comforting, and I've grown so used to his scent that it immediately soothes me. I'm still worried about Ethan, but he isn't here now, and I manage to relax. Soon enough, his fingers tangle into my hair, pulling off the elastic and he hums quietly, at ease.

"I've missed this," he admits, softly. "We don't have a lot of practice being together in front of people, do we? I've been wanting to do this since you sat down on my lap, at least."

"Hmm, we are kind of spoiled when it comes to having alone time, funnily enough, considering we barely got any time to ourselves when we started dating."

He laughs, but he doesn't seem to have an argument against that. We stay quiet, his fingers untangling my hair; mine, exploring his sweater. I can feel the buttons of his shirt under it, and I trace them idly, playing with the round shape of them, until he shivers as I press gently on the lowest one, near his belt. I bite my lips. Perhaps not the best time, I think to myself, but there's a thought for later. He huffs, perhaps amused, perhaps disappointed. It's hard to say without being able to see his face. At this thought, he pulls gently away to tilt my face up and press his lips to mine. I meet him eagerly, and can't help a breathless moan when he kisses me more intensely than I'm expecting him to. We separate quickly enough, though.

"There's a thought for later," I repeat, this time out loud. He smiles, but he doesn't laugh, fingers pressing tightly against my waist. The hand still tangled on my hair trembles, but doesn't pull.

I've grown to notice these little moments, where his carefully composed self-control wavers, and I often delight in breaking it completely, but right now is not the right time, and I'm oddly thankful for it, because I know I might not be able to stop myself if we went any further. He goes back to caressing my hair soon after.

"I'm a bit all over the place today," he muses, contemplative.

"In a good way or a bad way?" I prompt, pushing myself up to look at him. He has his eyes closed, but the corners of his lips turn slightly up.

"Good, I think. Better, now that we're here," he adds.

"We'll have to go downstairs again for dinner, though."

"That's alright. I really didn't mean to disappear for a long time, I just wanted a minute and got sidetracked. It's a bit overwhelming to spend time with... everyone. Especially in a relaxed way. I don't know if that makes sense."

"How is being relaxed a defining factor?" I tease, and he shrugs as best as he can while laying down, smiling.

"I don't exactly know what people do in this kind of reunion. It feels like there are some established rules that I'm just unaware of. Cookies, and too strong eggnog, and games..."

"The eggnog was a mistake," I roll my eyes. "Whoever made it didn't get it right. The games are a bit of a staple on Christmas and New Year's Eve, I'll give you that."

"Right."

"Is it too much?" I ask him, and he does open his eyes at that. He shakes his head.

"Not all the time. I'm happy to be here, Bells."

"Okay."

"I don't mind learning how to play games and eating cookies, either," he rolls his eyes.

"There are worse things to do," I agree.

"And I'm glad that everyone seems happy to see me around, too," he continues. "I'm just a little overwhelmed, that's all. I've spent the past who knows how many New Year's Eves with the Tribunal members. I don't think I've been in a room with as many people not shielding their thoughts in... a while. And they were talking, at the same time. I'm good at keeping outside thoughts in check, but it does become a bit much after a while, especially when everyone is talking to me."

"Oh," I bite my lips. "I hadn't thought... sorry."

"Don't be. If anything, your thoughts are a familiar anchor whenever the rest are too much. Focusing on you really helped. Well, it helped, until it became really distracting, but that's a different issue altogether," he mumbles, slightly embarrassed. I hum, pleased, and lean in to kiss him again. He kisses back. "You're a menace," he complains, half-heartedly. I grin, and I'm about to respond, when I hear Matt yell from downstairs.

"Isabel!"

It startles Arkarian, but I had been kind of waiting for the inevitable. I cover his ears softly before yelling back.

"Moment!"

Arkarian laughs.

"You two really just yell for each other around the house?"

"I'm much more efficient, I generally yell at him in my thoughts until he deigns to come by. He doesn't often do the same to me, thankfully. Visions are still a pain to deal with..."

He laughs again. He pulls me closer briefly, hiding his face on my neck, pressing a soft kiss there that sends a shiver down my spine. He doesn't acknowledge it though, instead taking a deep breath and moving so we can both get up. He hands me back my hair tie, but I merely make sure my hair isn't a disaster. I don't care if people think we've been making out, in fact, it feels oddly nice to know they think of us like that, like an item... I catch his reflection on my dresser's mirror, though, and I look at him before heading downstairs.

"Is it okay?" I mumble, meaning my hair. He shrugs.

"I like it," he admits. I wait for him to be more specific, and he hesitates. "I mean, your hair looks fine both ways, but I mean..."

"Yeah?"

"You know," he almost fidgets, and I lose any sort of interest in going downstairs. He huffs as he realizes we're not moving until he tells me. "What you were thinking just now."

"That people will think we've been making out in my room? I mean, are they wrong?"

He shrugs again, vaguely amused.

"I mean. Sort of? I wish they weren't, but we haven't had enough time. And yet, as things are, we've sort of proven we can't really keep our hands off each other, so..." I laugh with him.

"I don't mind that they think that. Do you?"

"Like I said, I quite like it," he repeats, cheeks reddening even more.

"Are you going to tell me why or are you going to keep me guessing all night?" I push a bit more. He chuckles, eyes flitting around the room.

"I guess I like that people think of us that way. That they would think you'd want to be with me enough to..." he trails off.

"Make out with you in my room," I complete. He makes a face, but I can tell he's just embarrassed. He doesn't get embarrassed very often, so I'm slightly amazed by this turn of events. "How could they not? They all know we're together."

"Yes," he agrees. "But there's a difference between knowing we're together, and us going downstairs together, after being up here alone, with you looking the way you do, Bells."

I look at myself in my dresser. Sure, my hair is a bit of a mess. I comb it with my fingers. I... I guess my shirt is a little rumpled? Not that much, really. It has a crease, but I know mom is going to make me change it before dinner anyway... My lips are quite red, I admit to myself, looking closer. I bite on my lower lip experimentally, but it's just a little sensitive, it doesn't hurt.

"I don't think they'll really look that closely. And even if they did, again, they already think we've been making out. Which we kind of have, so it's not like they're totally off the mark. And why does it matter all of a sudden?"

"Because I _want_ them to think that, that's why," he answers, not impatiently, but perhaps a little frustrated that I still don't understand. Which I don't.

"Well... good, then?"

"I... yes. I mean, unless it bothers you."

"Why on Earth would it bother me?" I ask him, and I can't help but laugh. He finally smiles a little, tentatively.

"I thought it might. You're... very independent," he settles for, and I frown, unsure where he's taking this. "I wasn't sure you'd care much for possessiveness."

"Ohhh," I hold my breath as I finally start to see what he means. "You mean— ohh. I— no, that's..." I laugh some more, and pull him closer, until I can kiss him again. His hands find my waist and I lose my balance a little, but he steadies me. "You've barely bit on my lips, no wonders I wasn't getting the idea. You can leave marks on me, Arkarian, I won't mind. First of all, it's you. Second of all, that's hot. Third of all, I won't even pretend I don't sometimes think of you as mine, too."

He kisses me again, drowning a quiet groan against my lips, and this time it takes us a little longer than before to pull apart. His eyes are dark as he looks at me, and I can't help but bite his lips some more, until he closes his eyes again, his forehead touching mine as he leans into me. We stumble a little, and I feel my back hit the dresser. We both shiver.

"They're waiting for us," he reminds me.

"Well, we better not keep them waiting then."

Neither of us moves, which is funny on its own right. I chuckle, pressing a last kiss to his jaw, letting my teeth graze his skin just barely, and feeling almost lightheaded as his fingers press tightly against my waist, keeping me close. I wonder if the eggnog has anything to do, or if I'm just truly that powerless to the way he makes me feel. He pinches me for this thought.

"You're not going to make this easy, are you," he wonders. I take a deep breath, chuckling, and shield my thoughts. "You're going to need to try a little harder," he mumbles, but he steps away, and I shield my thoughts a bit better as I look in the mirror, rearranging my shirt again. I look presentable, mostly. Yes, my lips are bitten red, and I'm still blushing, but I'm alright. He rolls his eyes and opens the door. "Let's go before we get even more distracted."

"Your fault," I'm quick to remind him as we reach the stairs. He snorts.

"Whatever makes you feel better, Bells."

"You know what would make me feel better?" I start to say, but he shakes his head, pushing me. I jump the last few steps, laughing, and we both follow the sound of voices to the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed my story :D
> 
> If you did, please consider leaving kudos or a comment, they're greatly appreciated!
> 
> If you’d like to create related content based on my fic, please visit my profile for my blanket permission statement!
> 
> If you want to yell with me and share more headcanons for these dorks, you can find me at my tumblr, [lenalawlipop](https://lenalawlipop.tumblr.com/), the comments section down below, or any of the links in my profile. Don't be shy!
> 
> Love,
> 
> ~Lena


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter stuff I want to talk about:
> 
> \- Yes, I realize Isabel’s canon characterization is not being big on dresses, and canon calls her a tomboy at least once. I still am unclear on whether tomboy is a slur, but more to the point of this chapter, I don’t think Isabel is necessarily opposed to wearing “girly” clothes - she’s probably just more used to seeing her own worth for the things she can do (sports, physical activities, skills…) and not for her looks.
> 
> \- I have a lot of thoughts on Coral and how she would take the idea of her children leaving the nest. Relevant right now - #CoralNeedsAHug. I feel for her, but also, I have an OTP to develop here XDDD
> 
> \- And yes I also have a _LOT_ of thoughts on Marduke and Anneliese’s relationship and I go into that in the chapter but like… I’d love feedback if anyone has anything to say (?)
> 
> Ok second PSA done, pls continue XDD Enjoy!

# Chapter 2

When we meet everyone downstairs, mom has enlisted Matt for help in the kitchen. Shaun isn't there anymore, though Laura is. She's decorating her final batch of cookies, and she and mom are chatting animatedly. Laura grins as she sees me, but doesn't speak. Matt doesn't bother commenting either, so mom is torn between pointing out the obvious and not wanting to make things awkward. I take one of the salads from her.

"To the dining room?" I ask, unnecessarily. She settles on an indulgent smile, and nods.

"Yes, please. We're almost ready, I was about to send Matt to get you," she scolds me gently. I snort.

"You wouldn't have, not really. You'd lose your best ally for every single time I stop Matt from interrupting you and Jimmy."

She blushes scarlet red, but Laura laughs, delighted. She offers me a highfive, which I'm not expecting, but I accept anyway. As I turn around, Shaun is shaking his head from the doorframe. Arkarian picks up the other salad in silence, but I would bet money he's just rolled his eyes. I lead the way to the dining room before things can go from funny to awkward.

"Kids," I hear Shaun murmur as we leave. I roll my eyes as Ethan laughs from the door of the living room.

"Did you just call Arkarian a kid?" he asks, amused. Arkarian snorts.

I don't get to hear the answer, leading the way to the dining room instead, where Matt is setting down glasses, and Neriah is fussing with the napkins. We put down the salads as Jimmy enters with another tray of food.

"Isabel, won't you change for dinner at least?" mom asks me as I pass by the kitchen again. I sigh, looking at myself. Yeah, my shirt has a crease right down the middle, but it's a pretty decent shirt… Then again, it's tradition, and Mom likes it when we dress up for New Year's Eve's dinner. Arkarian raises an eyebrow questioningly, and I realize he's not following, so I open my thoughts to fill him in.

"I'll... find something," I reassure my mom distractedly, already running mentally through my options while hoping I'm making any sense. Arkarian huffs, perhaps amused at the fact that I don't really remember which dresses are in my wardrobe, and nods. "I'll be right back."

"Do you want help?" Neriah asks me. I hesitate, then agree.

"You probably have a better idea of what my mom is looking for."

"Your mom is looking for pretty much anything that will make Arkarian's jaw drop," she rolls her eyes. "I meant if you want help choosing."

"If I thought I needed clothes to do that, I'd pay attention to clothes," I huff. Not far off, Ethan snorts, and I roll my eyes. "Oh, very mature. Honestly, Ethan..."

"Am I right or am I right, though," he asks, reappearing from the living room. I roll my eyes.

"Yes, but I can't very well go to New Year's Eve dinner naked, Ethan."

"You two are absolute fiends," Neriah whines, embarrassed. We laugh at her, and Ethan pats her shoulder apologetically. "Do you want help or not?"

"Yes. Come on. One of us needs to know what dress actually goes with my hair or something, I don't care."

"You don't have all that long," Matt reminds us calmly, already used to me putting off the moment of dressing up.

"Do I ever?"

He doesn't answer, and I lean on Arkarian to press a kiss to his cheek before leaving back for my room. I climb the stairs two at a time, and open my wardrobe as Neriah joins me.

"So, dresses..." I start.

"Has Arkarian ever seen you in a dress?" she wonders, interrupting me. Somehow, I start to find the constant implications annoying, and she smiles. "I know he doesn't like you just for your looks, but it's always fun to dress up for someone, isn't it?"

"I'm not exactly the dressing up type of girl," I remind her. She nods.

"Can't say I relate," she looks through my wardrobe. "Why do you have these then?"

"My mom buys them every now and then, perhaps hoping I will wear them."

"Look at this though!" She pulls a blue one that I shake my head at. "Why not?"

I'm glad to have my thoughts shielded again when the first thing that comes to mind is 'wrong shade'. I sigh, but she's already looking again. She pulls out a green one, but then discards it, and a red one, that she lays down on the bed before turning back to the wardrobe in a rush. She gasps.

I get closer to see what she's found, and I can't help but laugh when she pulls out a small dress from when I was a kid, the _exact_ shade of Arkarian's violet eyes. She lays it on the bed as well, and, before I can say anything, she disappears.

"Neriah?" I call, confused. She comes back soon enough, and shows me something. "Oh," I start to feel heat creeping up my face when I see her brush. "Are you thinking...?"

"It's perfect! Oh, you have to, please tell me you will. I want to see his face when he sees you wear this. It's not even a racy dress, it's very tame!"

"It's still kind of short," I argue, for the sake of arguing. She rolls her eyes.

"Sure, the skirt is. I can make it longer too, if you'll be more comfortable."

"Just a bit, maybe... I like the sleeves, though," I admit.

The dress had been too short, but as a kid, it had looked like a tutu, and mom had liked it on me. Now, as Neriah works, it becomes almost knee length, much more appropriate for someone my size and age. She keeps the half length sleeves, but deepens the neckline a bit more into a V shape. I let her. In all honesty, the moment I had realized she could enlarge it, the decision had taken itself.

"This is so cute, I love it," she declares as she holds it before me. I sigh.

"The question is whether or not Matt, Ethan and Dillon will ever let me live this down."

"They might, depending on how well Arkarian takes it."

I have no idea how he's going to take it, but if he'd been flustered about others seeing my lips all bitten red, he might just combust with this... It's an odd combination, the embarrassment and the flooring pride that comes with the thought.

I let Neriah run to her room for her makeup things while I put it on. It fits me like a glove, not that I'm surprised about that. I'm quietly happy to wear it again, though. I vaguely remembered how happy it made my mom when I wore it as a kid, and it keeps nice memories from back then. It's a slightly different shape, but it's the same kind of fabric, the same textures. I run my hand down my stomach, my waist. I look... nice. It's comfortable, which is something rare from a dress, and while this is more cleavage than I'm used to, I find solace in that the sleeves won't let the dress slide off of me. As Neriah returns, and promises to keep it extremely minimal with the makeup, I resign myself to being dolled up.

Thankfully, it's only minutes later that I find myself waiting for her to put on her own dress. I hold her back before she can sprint downstairs, though.

"Don't make a big thing out of this, please," I ask her. "Not for me... I just don't want to make it too obvious that Rochelle isn't here with us."

It brings a shadow to her expression, but I don't feel bad for it. Neriah is too excited, and I would hate to make Ethan sadder than he has to be. She nods.

"I'll just use my wings to go downstairs, you come down when you're ready... but you better tell me later what he said!" she points a finger at me, and I laugh.

"You can hang around the stairs, I just... I don't want it to be a scene, both of us going down and... everything."

"I know."

With that, she disappears.

As she does, I suddenly realize what I'm doing. Why have I let her dress me up again...? I try to think about how happy mom is going to be, and I fish under my bed for the box of nice shoes that I barely ever use. I have a pair of black heels that I put on any time that I need to look fancy for whatever reason, and I go with those, because I don't have any violet ones, and most definitely no blue ones, much less of the right shade. Neriah could have probably changed the color if I had thought to ask… but then again, it's probably better like this.

I would like to say I don't hesitate when I reach the stairs, but I do, I absolutely do. Getting out of my room has been an ordeal already. I caught a glimpse of myself in my mirror and suddenly, I looked so different... Neriah has put my hair up, some sort of artistically messy bun with a fuckton of pins, and... well. I look very pretty, but for whatever reason, knowing that only makes me more nervous. Now there are stakes, I suppose. I can't feel judged if I don't put in the effort...

"Don't be silly," I tell my feet as I look down to myself. "This is Arkarian we're talking about. The worst that can happen is that he'll just smile and say it's cute. He would never tell me I look horrible in front of Ethan, Dillon and Matt."

"He wouldn't," a voice reassures me from behind me, and I jump, too startled to scream. Matt helps me keep my balance. "Easy! You look great. I will get a chance to tease you for the color choice when I go downstairs as well, but, you know. I remember the dress," he smiles, shrugs. I smile back.

"That's nice of you to say," I mumble. "I feel a little... not me."

"It's a bit more than you usually wear, but it's New Year's Eve, it'll be fine. He better appreciate it," he adds, rolling his eyes. I laugh.

"I'm sure he will. I mean. I hope so, at least."

"Well then, go and figure it out. I won't be there to embarrass you, promise."

"Thanks."

He gives me a thumbs up before heading to the bathroom, and I feel a little better about it all. I can't take the stairs two at a time in heels, but I try to get used to the clacking of them as I hurry to get this over with.

The first person I find is Ethan, who gapes as he sees me, apparently unsure where to look. I huff as he looks up at my eyes again.

"Classy," I mutter. He grins, a little sheepish.

"I mean. I have never seen you wear anything like this before," he excuses himself. "Arkarian is going to disintegrate on the spot."

"You're being too nice, what's the catch?" I ask, narrowing my eyes. He blinks, shrugs.

"I'll let you find Arkarian before I drag Dillon away from the game so we can both make fun of you. Will that make you feel better?" he offers. I roll my eyes.

"That will restore the natural order of things, so, yes."

"Hey. I think it's cute that you're wearing his colors. You know how self-conscious he is about his eyes and whatnot."

"Yeah," I sigh, looking down at myself. "I know."

"Go before your mom comes to investigate. He's in the dining room with Jimmy and my dad."

"Great, so we're still going to be made fun of."

"Well, he is, for sure. Or what's left of him after he melts down when he sees you. In fact," he frowns as he considers this. "In fact, I'm tagging along. I wanna laugh at him too."

I groan, but there's no postponing it... I raise a hand to knock on the doorframe but Shaun sees me first, and grins. For a moment, I can see Ethan so clearly in his father's teasing expression that it sidetracks me. Immediately after, though, both Jimmy and Arkarian turn around and I'm instantly on edge. I wave weakly.

He isn't holding anything that he can drop dramatically, but does a double take, eyebrows shooting up in disbelief. He doesn't walk closer, but he turns around to look at me properly, and it takes him a comically long moment to even open his mouth to speak, his cheeks reddening by the second. Some part of me is extremely pleased with this reaction, but I still wait for the verdict. I take a step ahead, and it seems to kick him into gear as he rushes, hands extended to take mine. He seems to look for words, but doesn't speak for a long time, during which everyone seems to be holding their breaths.

"You're an absolute menace," he mumbles after a second, smiling. He leans in closer, effectively shutting out Ethan's pleased laughter, and Jimmy's comments. "I thought you hated dresses, Bells."

"I..." I swallow, unsure of why I'm so nervous, really. "I have them, I just don't wear them a lot. I can't take the comments from everyone else."

"Should I keep my thoughts to myself, then?" he offers. I chuckle, breathless as the tension starts to bleed away from me.

"I think I'd be a little offended if you did. You think I put on this just because Neriah said so?"

"I think Neriah said you'd murder me with it and you realized she was right," he laughs, and I roll my eyes, because he's right too. "You look stunning, dearheart. I don't think I need to tell you this, but I quite appreciate the choice in color, as well."

"You said, earlier... about possessiveness and all, and I—I thought—I wanted..." I stammer, but I don't need to explain further. His eyes widen, and his hands tremble briefly around mine. He pulls me closer, his arms coming around my waist as he presses a kiss to my cheek, my temple. My hands fall on his chest, and I can tell how quickly his heart is beating.

"I thought, when I saw you… but I didn't want to presume..." he mouths, so quietly I struggle to hear him. I shiver.

"Presume," I plead, my voice smaller than I'd like with nerves, and something like anticipation. "Please, presume."

He groans softly as he holds me close. He doesn't kiss me, and I wonder if everyone is still around or if they may have left us alone for a moment. I can't tell, and I don't dare pull away just to look. I'm still marveling at just how fast his heartbeat is under my fingertips by the time he pulls away to look me in the eye. His are damp, and his voice catches with emotion as he speaks.

"You must know," he starts, fervent, honest to the point that it gives me chills. "When I think of you as mine, it's never... I would never want that, if it wasn't freely offered, love."

"Of course," I breathe. I hadn't even thought otherwise.

"I want you to _want_ to be mine, as much as I want to be yours," he continues. "This... I can't exactly put in words what this feels like," he muses, leaning in closer to touch his forehead to mine. I part my lips, expecting a kiss that doesn't come. I say the first thing that comes to mind to ask for it.

"Show me instead?"

It does the trick.

It's always a heady feeling, watching Arkarian lose his composure for me, for something I've said or done. This time, his hands find my face, framing my cheeks as he kisses me intensely, only for a few brief seconds, before he forces himself to pull away, and hides his face against my neck. His breathing is wild, and it slides over the exposed skin over my chest, my back, sliding under the hem of the dress and making me shiver. His heart is beating so strongly against my fingers that I feel lightheaded with the idea that it's all because of me, that I've _done_ this. He groans.

"I can't believe you still can doubt what you do to me, darling," he manages after a moment. I chuckle, but even to my own ears, I sound just as unsteady as I feel. I'm all but leaning on him, and I'd be surprised if I found out I'm not trembling. "If I kiss you right now, I don't think I'll let you go," he confesses, which does the opposite of helping the situation. I pull on his sweater, verging on desperate, but he shushes me before I can speak. "Everyone is waiting outside, Bells, we're still in the dining room."

I manage to shield my thoughts before I absolutely embarrass myself, and I pull away, letting him step away from me completely before whispering.

"Later, then… Whenever we have time. When our family and friends aren't outside this door," I start, and he raises an eyebrow. "Let me have you, just like you have me," I ask. His eyes fall shut, and I can almost feel with my powers the shiver of want that runs through him.

"A menace! An absolute, complete, menace!" He complains, all but a whine. I chuckle as he waits, breathing deeply to regain his composure before opening the door.

Dillon and Matt are outside, and whistle at me, making fun good-naturedly. I let them, because I can see Jimmy rush out of the kitchen to laugh at Arkarian as well, and I let both their compliments and their jabs wash over me. Neriah catches my eye, and of all things, it's her knowing glance that flusters me.

It's eventually Anneliese, of all people, who comes to my rescue. She calls me to help her get the cookies from the living room, and I manage to spare a mental apology to Arkarian before I take the chance to leave.

She smiles gently as I follow her.

"They're a lot, this bunch," she says, understanding. I nod. "You look great, Isabel. Don't let the boys tell you otherwise."

"Thank you."

"Here, you take these and I'll gather empty cups and plates," she says, handing me a few tins of cookies. "Take them to the kitchen, will you?"

"Of course."

Mom has returned to the kitchen, and she also smiles at me when she sees me.

"I seem to remember that dress a little smaller," she says. I laugh, and tell her what Neriah has done.

By the time I go back to the dining room, everyone seems mostly back to normal. I grin at Arkarian.

"Have they finished telling you how lucky you are that I have deigned to put on a dress for the occasion?" I ask, mostly to jab at Matt and Jimmy, who seem sheepish enough. Arkarian laughs, but doesn't confirm nor deny. "Don't be nice to them, they won't have the same courtesy."

"Does it matter?" he offers. "In the end, we all agree that you look absolutely breathtaking, so really, what's the point."

"Ah, see there, that's the correct answer. You're clearly the most diplomatic person in this family," I inform him.

I'm not entirely sure what I've done, but he seems momentarily surprised, before he starts to tear up a little. He laughs to play it off, but I can see Shaun and Jimmy share a complicit look, and I frown. Ethan shrugs with a quiet smile.

"Aaaaand I'm missing something," I murmur. No one confirms nor denies this time either. "Okay. You keep your secrets. I'm going to go get mom before she starts fussing about the kitchen, or else we'll never start eating..."

I leave them to be weird on their own. Arkarian seems happy, and quiet laughter starts the moment I cross the threshold into the corridor, so I don't worry too much. I tell mom and Laura to stop trying to tidy the kitchen, that we'll do it later, and they reluctantly come with me. I also find Neriah hiding in the guest's bathroom. I squint at her.

"You made me come downstairs wearing this and you're the one hiding? Something doesn't add up," I tease. She grins, but hesitates a second before shaking her head and walking to meet me at the door.

"Oh, they've already seen me. It's just… I was thinking of wearing this," she says, showing me her hand. I gasp.

"He... you...!"

"No!" she cries, frustrated. "See, that's what I don't want... he didn't give it to me like that!"

I would like to tell her that Matt has had that ring for years, easily over a decade by now, possibly since birth and I just don't remember. I would like to tell her that he has never given it, not even handed it over, to anybody. Not mom, not me, not Rochelle… I would like to tell her that, coming from Matt, it might as well mean "that". But I don't. Instead, I nod, I pretend to believe her. She sighs.

"You don't believe me," she guesses anyway. I shrug.

"I know my brother. If it worries you, though, only he, mom, and perhaps Jimmy, will notice exactly the significance. It goes well with your dress, and everyone else will think it's just yours."

"Do you think they'll make a fuss?" she asks, hesitantly.

"Not unless Matt makes a fuss. Does Matt know...?"

"I haven't been wearing it until now, no."

"Maybe tell him before you go in?"

"Hmm."

"Hang on. I'll tell him to come get you, you two sort it out and then come by."

She stops me, sheepishly.

"I made you go downstairs looking like this," she says. "Least I could do is risk it and go in there without prep."

I laugh, and pull her along.

"Found her," I muse as I walk into the dining room and everyone nods when they see Neriah. She smiles, and squeezes my hand before leaving my side to sit next to Matt.

Mom and Jimmy are both sitting at one end of the table, appropriately presiding it, as this is their house. Matt and I are sitting on each side of them, and to our sides, Neriah and Arkarian. Next to Arkarian are Ethan, Shaun, and Laura. Next to Neriah are Anneliese and Dillon. There's an empty space, but no one comments on it, and Ethan doesn't seem bothered. I sit down, curious as to how long it'll take Matt to notice. Mom doesn't seem to be paying attention, and neither is Jimmy, but...

"What's with your brother?" Ethan whispers at me from across Arkarian, startling me. I tend to forget he's both the most observant, and the one with the godsdamned intuition.

"Shh," I whisper back.

Matt isn't making a scene, and I'll be damned if I let Ethan ruin this. Matt is quiet, eyebrows arched toward Neriah, and more than likely talking to her via thoughts. Arkarian, however, looks between us seemingly out of the loop, so I figure they're keeping it private. I tilt my head, catching Matt's eye before I tell anyone, and he starts to blush. He shushes me anyway, and I roll my eyes.

"Why would _I_ want to make a big deal of it, of all people?" I whisper to him across the table, while Jimmy laughs loudly at something Shaun has said. He shrugs, and I sigh. "I wouldn't, that's why."

"It's not that," he insists, and Neriah sighs.

"I'm going to revoke your friend privileges," she whines at me. I shake my head.

"Sure. But you can't revoke my sister privileges."

"You're not my sister," she adds, and I snort.

"Sure, Jan."

Ethan pieces it together before Arkarian does, which is kind of funny. He bites on his fist not to gasp, and I can tell he's concentrating very, very hard on shielding his thoughts. Arkarian seems torn between being impressed and laughing at him, and I place my hand on top of his.

"Have you heard of promise rings?" I ask him. He frowns.

"Like engagement rings?" he asks in return. I shake my head.

"Nah. Someone decided that an engagement was too much commitment, and invented promise rings, because apparently the more rings the better, or something like that."

"Why?" he deadpans. I laugh, I can't help it.

"I guess it's easier to break a promise that you don't really tell other people about. Engagements are so public, and all that," I shrug. "It's kind of silly, I guess..."

"Is that what Neriah is hiding under the table?" he asks then, quietly as to not snitch her out to everyone else. She starts to shake her head, but then sighs, conceding.

"I don't want my mom to make a scene, that's all," Matt grumbles.

"What makes you think _I_ want her to make a scene?" I repeat, before he can make it my fault somehow. He considers it, slowly nods.

"Fair enough."

"It's bad enough as is," I manage to say, before mom cuts her conversation with Jimmy to formally begin dinner. He laughs, silently.

"You don't need promise rings, have you seen what you're _wearing_?" he manages, choking with the effort not to cackle. I sigh.

"Yes, Matt, I am not blind."

He shakes with laughter when mom throws him a glare for interrupting her as she talks. I shake my head.

"You're ridiculous," I mutter, but he either doesn't hear me or doesn't care.

"What are siblings for, or so they say," Ethan grins. I can't help but snort.

"Or so they say."

Dinner goes on without a hitch. I can tell that, whatever Arkarian is talking about with Matt in their thoughts, it's apparently hilarious. Neriah isn't laughing as much, but she seems vaguely amused, though it isn't until Ethan points it out that I realize why it's so odd.

"I knew they were getting along better, but I'm starting to feel like I stepped into a different reality," he jokes, startling both Matt and Arkarian, who smile and shrug. I chew on my food for a moment, wondering.

"I'm ninety five percent sure that they're talking about me and or laughing about me. I wouldn't worry about it," I reassure Ethan after I swallow. He laughs.

"Oh. I _know_ ," he nods. "Still. Weird."

"Hm," I nod as well. Matt shakes his head. "Don't start with me," I warn him. "Or I'll tell mom..."

"No, you won't," he says immediately, and I roll my eyes.

"Or I'll tell mom about the eggnog," I finish, and I watch him choke on his food, quietly very proud of myself.

"You also wouldn't, because you're a really nice sister," he offers after he drinks some water. I start to laugh.

"Oh, _now_ I'm a really nice sister?"

"Of course you are!"

"Of course I am."

"Don't be silly," mom interrupts us both, and we look at her, amused. "I already know about the eggnog."

"You could have just let me keep the upper hand! We all knew about the eggnog, but..." I try, but she rolls her eyes.

"Neither of you are as sneaky as you think."

"That's just lazy, coming from you," I tell Matt, before he can start to panic and read too much into her words. "You can literally teleport. You can probably just pull a Jesus and transform the eggnog into wine. Or, like, stronger eggnog."

"I could," he admits, laughing at the comparison. "But where's the fun in that?"

He laughs some more, and misses the curious look that mom gives him. Probably a good thing. I smile, though, unable to stop the wave of affection that washes through me. For as much as people seem to think he's changed, he's still just Matt, my brother. He looks at me.

"Of course I am. What, did I grow a second head or something in the past year?" he flicks a breadcrumb at me, and I roll my eyes.

"Maybe you should just so you'd have somewhere to store all the ego you're accumulating in your current head," I mumble. It makes Arkarian snort right as he's trying to drink, and it tips us all into laughter. "Sorry!"

"No, no, that was funny," he murmurs, wiping at his chin with his napkin. Jimmy is still laughing, and Matt pats his shoulder, sufferingly.

"I hate you," he tells me, deadpan. I nod.

"Ah, the highest honor a sibling can bestow upon thee."

"Glad to know you don't take it lightly."

"I would never."

"Mmhm."

Ethan and Arkarian look at each other and shrug. When Neriah catches their eyes, she shrugs as well.

"Welcome to the club of only children," she offers. Both Ethan and Arkarian laugh, though I can see Shaun startle briefly next to Ethan.

"I'm fine in this club," Ethan says immediately. "I don't need an older sibling to hate me, thank you very much."

"You already have Arkarian for that," I remind him. He thinks about it for a moment, then nods slowly.

"He's just too nice to say it like that," he agrees. Arkarian raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, am I?"

"Well, aren't you?"

There's a short silence, and I pat Arkarian's wrist.

"You are," I settle.

"Maybe I am," he admits, with a slightly defeated sigh.

"You wouldn't be if you'd had a sibling," I tell him. "You can love them and all of that, but at some point you need to learn to tell them you hate them, too."

"Rite of passage of having a sibling," Matt agrees.

"You're both just saying dumb shit now, gods, shut up," Neriah grumbles, still managing to sound somewhat affectionate. Matt and I laugh.

"See, Neriah is starting to get it," I offer. Ethan nods.

"I'll take careful notes," he jokes, and Arkarian rolls his eyes.

"You already tell me how much I annoy you, almost every time we talk. You're doing just fine," he tells him, and Ethan splutters.

"I do not!"

"Well, sometimes you only think it," he agrees.

"Well, stop snooping in my thoughts!"

"Stop projecting them," comes the immediate, deadpan reply.

I catch Matt's eye, and I roll mine theatrically. He snickers.

"Are they always like this?" he asks, only half-jokingly. I nod.

"They're cute. They think they're not, but they're really cute."

"Aww."

"That makes you and Matt also really cute, you know," says Neriah. Matt laughs some more.

"Damn right we're cute," he settles.

"We're cute, and we know it!"

"I thought you hated each other," Ethan says. Matt nods.

"Isn't hate the other side of the coin for love, or something like that? We're good at keeping it interesting in this family, I guess."

"Oh, keeping it interesting... Is that what we're calling it now?" I blink at him, as innocently as I can. He snorts.

"Don't. We're having dinner, come on, Bells. Mom is right there."

"I'm here," she perks up, looks over. "What did I miss?"

"I made a vaguely innuendo-y joke, Matt got flustered," I tell her. She snickers.

"He does that."

"Yeah."

"I hate you both," he sighs. Mom simply laughs. "It didn't even make sense!"

"Then why did you tell me to stop?"

"Because!" he points at me with his fork. "You will snowball anything into a weird innuendo if we let you."

"Oh, come on! When was the last time I did that?" I complain, feeling my own cheeks redden. Ethan starts to laugh at me, so does Arkarian. Matt seems to think about it, though.

"Okay, to be fair, it's been a while," he admits.

"There you go, thank you."

"But I don't trust you further than I can throw you," he adds.

"You can't throw me," I roll my eyes. "I'll throw you first."

"... well, that's that, then," he shrugs, accepting his fate.

The conversation changes then, as Jimmy is talking about some mission or another, something mom requests often. Both her and Laura have taken some time to get used to it all, especially the idea of their kids being part of a war, and I can't say I blame them. Now, however, they're both starting to become more and more curious about this strange world, and I also can't blame them. It's only a matter of time until they figure out — or until Anneliese tells them — that the most knowledgeable of all of us is Arkarian, so, frankly, I should enjoy this while it lasts, because I don't think they'll let me have his attention for long when that happens.

This thought warrants a chuckle, disguised into a cough behind his napkin. He glances at me, amused.

_'Am I wrong, though?'_

He doesn't answer, but shrugs minutely. That's a no, then.

#

Midnight inches closer and closer. Dinner has been over for a while, but so far we have only moved enough to bring everything back to the kitchen, and no one has moved to wash the dishes. Afterwards, we've been talking some more. Anneliese has told us some anecdotes of the time back when she met Marduke. She didn't mean to start that topic though, and I can tell she doesn't want to talk about their relationship, so in the end I try to redirect the conversation to the time when she found out about the Guard instead. I don't think mom and Laura notice, but she seems to appreciate it.

I can't imagine what it must have been like, personally. I shield my thoughts as she speaks, and whether Arkarian, Matt and Neriah notice, I don't know. I just don't want to make the night about the agelessness thing, but... Anneliese clearly hadn't meant to... Halfway through her retelling of how fascinated she had been about it all, Arkarian turns to me slightly, though, and I know he's quietly asking about my mental shield. I tilt my head.

"Shaun tells me you were already quite cold and distant, even before Marduke and Anneliese met," I mumble. He seems thrown off. "How come Marduke wasn't?" I ask.

"Ah," he sighs. "He and I... didn't always see eye to eye, on many things. And you forget, I hadn't always been, either. I was just luckier," he reminds me. I nod, but I keep quiet before the others can notice us.

Anneliese is beautiful, and certainly so is Neriah, but it has always struck me as odd that someone like Marduke would willingly settle down, especially considering his agelessness ability. After listening to Anneliese talk for only a few moments, it hasn't been difficult to put two and two together — they weren't involved that seriously by the time she got pregnant.

It reminds me of my own mother, a little. Of course, Dartemis did mean to father Matt, in his own, twisted way... which brings forth the interesting idea that, of the two of them, Marduke was the one willing to not only stay for his child, but _marry_ Anneliese. I'm not entirely certain I know how to feel about that.

It's not until we start to relocate toward the living room, once more dividing into smaller groups, that Arkarian brings it up again. He holds me back by my wrist, and I let Ethan and Matt leave the room before me, pretending to fuss with the hem of my dress. I look at him as they go, though. He seems serious.

"Don't judge Marduke too harshly on that, Isabel," he pleads. "He did many things wrong in his life, but his daughter was not one of them. He loved Neriah dearly, and Anneliese as well."

"I... suppose," I shrug. "I didn't really know him. Neriah certainly seems to think so, at least."

"And she would be correct. He went wrong about many things, and I won't pretend that we got along, even before he defected. We didn't. But we tolerated each other well enough, and he confided in me many times. Fatherhood changes people, a lot," he adds, and he has that voice he uses when he's unsure of how I'm going to take something. I frown, ready to tell him I want to hear what he has to say, but he shakes his head. "I've seen it only too many times, despite not having children myself," he clarifies. I can't help but smile as I realize he's misinterpreted me.

"I figured you would have mentioned it, no worries."

"Still. It does. Look no further, Shaun himself is a good example," he shrugs. "Marduke was afraid. At first, he agreed to stay with them out of duty. He tried to retreat into himself, and he made mistakes — for which he paid with a terrible scar on his face. He became paranoid, that the Guard wouldn't allow him to protect those he loved. He confused the affection he'd held for that poor lady in the past, for the affection he had for his wife and child. All the emotions he had kept hidden for three years, all the fear, and the rage, and the pain, and suddenly having people depend on him after centuries of thinking of himself as a lone wolf… it was all just… a lot. And it made him very unstable. While I have little sympathy for what became of him, I will never forget the day Neriah was born."

He says it with a quiet intensity that sends a chill down my spine. He's hard to read when he talks about the past, but this doesn't present much of a challenge. Under the pain of what happened to someone he once considered a... friend, of sorts — there's more.

"You were surprised... no, more than. You were jealous," I muse, and he closes his eyes. He nods, curtly, and when he opens his eyes again, they're damp. He's looking at me, but he's not really seeing me. He's far away.

"I've told you before — I haven't really interacted much with children, less and less so as time went on. Teenagers, yes. Young adults, most certainly. But not babies. The day that Neriah was born..." he sighs, a tremor going through him, so sharp that he physically shakes. "You've seen him. He's... he _was_ a big man. I hadn't seen a newborn in years, and when he showed her to me, so tiny in his arms... He looked..."

He doesn't finish the sentence, and I wonder what word exactly he's thinking about. But I don't need him to really say it. I can only imagine what it must have been for both of them, Arkarian and Marduke, to think they might never have a family, and then, quite out of nowhere, for Marduke to have Neriah.

"Marduke had a bit more experience with kids than I ever did," he says, suddenly, like coming out of a dream. "He was a healer, so some of our Guardians would ask him to help their families. Sometimes, he would agree. Simple things, that wouldn't raise suspicions. He would go by, find a way to touch the person in question," he shrugs. "But he wasn't a father. And he had very few apprentices, as well. One does wonder what he felt that day, holding his only daughter."

"It must have been quite a shock for him," I venture, finding my throat dry. He chuckles, painful, and raw.

"You can say that again. Marduke had always been very vain, you see. I don't think he was ready to find someone he loved more than himself. Oh, but you could clearly see he loved Neriah. From the day she was born, until the day he left, three years later, I saw him devoted to someone more than I had ever before. It would be a nice story to tell you it was Anneliese, but neither her nor I were ever deluded that it was anyone but Neriah. She had everything a baby could ever ask for, during her first years of life. He may have tried to distance himself, but... well, actions speak louder than words, as they say."

"And what about you?" I prompt. He blinks, then frowns.

"What about me?"

"It couldn't have been easy to watch... all that."

"Ah," he bites his lips, shrugs. "No. It wasn't. Like I said, though, I'm not familiar with kids. I wasn't around them all that often, those first three years... I often wish I had been. Who knows, though. It might be for the best that I wasn't. It's hard to say, now."

"Do you think he might have stayed if...?"

"I don't think anything I could have said would have convinced him at that point. Don't misunderstand me, I have no sympathy for him. What he did, especially as a Guardian of his rank and age, was inexcusable. Anneliese has grieved enough, but imagine, just for a second, that I left you and a three year old because I somehow got attached to a girl while on a mission. For me, it might have been a few months. For you, it has been a night like any other. The next morning, Ethan has disfigured half of my face, and someone else is left to inform you of everything. Your child won't stop screaming for her father, and the only thing this person can do, while telling you the news of your husband, is rock the child in his arms, try to calm both of you while not knowing really how to feel himself."

I notice how the 'imagine' has shifted focus half-way through, but I don't really mind. I pull him closer into a hug, and he rests his forehead on my shoulder, taking a deep breath.

"So, I take it that Shaun was Marduke's apprentice, going by that analogy?" I murmur a little later. He chuckles.

"Yes. I... sorry. I think I shouldn't have said all of that..."

"It's alright. I can't imagine it was easy for you either."

"... It really wasn't."

"Neriah has told me before that you visited quite often when she was younger. I would have thought..."

"What, Isabel?" he asks, but he's laughing. "You thought I would have simply abandoned them? The Guard doesn't abandon their own, and contrary to what Marduke believed, we were prepared to protect them if necessary. I was happy to be their... liaison, if you must. They already knew me, and most important of all, they trusted me. Neriah was a quiet child, especially after that, and if I was able to bring her some happiness, well..."

"You didn't owe them for what Marduke did, Arkarian," I start, but he shakes his head.

"I grew up without parents. I was never under the illusion that I could give her that, but I felt for her, you know? I... for a long time I did wonder whether I could have prevented her from growing up without her father."

"... I understand."

"At the same time, not a full year later, I started training Ethan. It was... very difficult," he admits. "I wasn't sure I wanted to, but he needed help, and I was already supposed to train his sister, before..." he sighs, and pulls me closer. I hold him. "I wasn't supposed to be left in the middle to pick up the pieces of what Shaun and Marduke had left. But I guess I was. I only hope I did okay... I just did my best."

"Of course you did! Ethan would die and kill before he let anything happen to you, and Neriah has so many good memories of you from when she was younger. Anneliese clearly thinks highly of you, as well. Even if I haven't spoken to her a lot, it shows."

"Neriah suffered from nightmares the first year or so after Marduke left. Because of my touch ability, I would often offer to help her sleep if she was having a rough time," he says. "Anneliese wasn't doing great yet, and she was very grateful at the time. She often asked after me, how I was doing... I think we were just trying to take care of each other after what had happened. We were both trying to pick up those pieces, in our own ways, so... We found comfort in each other's company, I suppose. I know I did. I, well, I don't mean..." he adds, quickly, but I pinch him.

"I know what you mean," I interrupt.

"Right."

"She had known, right? When she met Marduke?" I ask. It takes him a moment to piece together my question, but he draws a sharp breath after a moment.

"Yes. Oh, Anneliese knew that he was ageless. Like I said, don't judge him too harshly for it. Neriah may not have been in either of their plans, but do not doubt that she was loved by them both, fiercely."

"Of course..."

"I don't think Neriah knows this herself, and frankly, it's not... well, official, or legally binding, or however you'd like to say this. But after Marduke left, Anneliese once asked me whether I'd like to be her godfather," he muses.

"Did you accept?"

"No. It didn't feel right, and it was asked at a time when Anneliese herself wasn't sure the Guard would stick by her. I promised her I would protect them, but I didn't accept."

"Does that still make you her honorary godfather?"

"I very much doubt it, though I admit I don't know if she ever asked anyone else," he laughs. "Still. I was touched. Marduke... I don't think he ever considered the idea that he might not be there for Neriah, but I like to think that, if he'd had to ask someone, it might have been me. If nothing else, he was a practical man. He would have wanted to know someone powerful would take care of her, and if nothing else, he respected my power."

"If nothing else?"

"Well, we disagreed very often, so I don't think he..."

He pulls away as he speaks, but he doesn't finish. His eyes fall on something behind me, and I hear steps. I turn around to find Neriah and Anneliese there. Neriah is crying, quiety, and draws a circle around herself, the magic surrounding them falling apart.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping," she starts, already fretting. "But I heard my father's name, and..."

"It's okay," Arkarian murmurs, gently, and it brings fresh tears to her eyes.

"You didn't visit very often, but I know how much you did for us," she says. "Perhaps I never got to know you the same way Ethan did, but you must know I would do anything to repay you for your kindness when my mom and I needed you..."

"You don't have to," he smiles, and he squeezes my hands before he lets go of me completely to step toward Neriah. "Like I said. If I was able to make you happy for a while, then that's all I could ask for."

He extends a hand to her and she all but crashes into him, sobs racking her shoulders. He rubs her back silently, and Anneliese smiles at them.

"Well, isn't this familiar," she muses. He grins, but she continues before he can speak. "I never did ask anyone else, you know."

"Neriah doesn't need a godfather, one could argue she never did," he says, but Neriah pulls away from him with a gasp.

"Oh, say you will, please! I would be honored to have you as my godfather. It doesn't have to be official, or anything, but..."

"I told you both once I would protect you, and that has never changed," he smiles at her, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "However, you don't need my protection anymore. Your own powers are far more extensive than mine will ever be."

"It's about the _principle_ of the matter," Anneliese clicks her tongue.

"It doesn't matter whether I'm immortal or not," Neriah adds. "I have always looked up to you and that's not about to change. I won't ask you for anything, it won't be... how did you put it, legally binding...?"

"The last thing I'm worried about is whether you'll ask me for something," he rolls his eyes. "Just..."

"Why not?" I ask him, startling them all. "They have clearly had time to think about it, and they're not asking out of fear anymore, are they?"

"Well..."

"Arkarian, please..." Neriah pleads, and he looks at her, affectionately exasperated. "I will never ask for anything else!"

"That is not true," he mutters, matter-of-factly, rolling his eyes. "And I wouldn't ask that of you anyway. If it means that much to you, then I will be honored to be your godfather, Neriah."

She hugs him again, but this time she's laughing, despite her tears. Anneliese catches my eye, and I'm not surprised to find that we're also tearing up. What surprises me is that more people have gathered at the door. Everyone else has started to come back upon hearing Neriah cry, and they seem just as touched by what they're seeing as us. Shaun steps closer when Neriah manages to peel herself away from Arkarian. He takes her hands, placing a kiss on her knuckles, which seems to surprise her. He holds her glance briefly, then looks at Anneliese.

"I don't think I have ever apologized to you both for the part I played in what happened that night. And while I tried my best to stop it from happening, I also don't think I was brave enough at the time to look either of you in the eye. Belated as they are, I hope you accept my sincerest apology," he says. Neriah pulls him into a hug as well, and Anneliese nods, gently.

"I appreciate what you tried to do, Shaun," she says then, softly. "Arkarian told us, and I will admit that, in the heat of the moment, it felt like vindication... It took me a long time to even begin to understand how difficult it must have been for you, to lose him like that..."

"It's not easy to be left behind after being betrayed, and I'm afraid I didn't help matters," Shaun shakes his head. "If nothing else, I'm glad Ethan won't ever have to fight his instructor for such a horrible thing."

Anneliese nods with a smile, and I watch as Ethan takes a few seconds to process that sentence. He opens his mouth, possibly to ask his father something, but seems to think twice about it. He grins at Arkarian instead.

"No pressure, or anything," he mumbles, jokingly. Arkarian laughs freely.

"I really couldn't. Anneliese is not a fighter, but if I dared pull something like that, I would be running for my life before Isabel found me. You would have to be happy with finding what's left of my corpse."

That makes everyone laugh, me most of all. I can't even begin to fathom the situation, and it sounds so absurd that it barely deserves the effort.

"Now, now... let's talk about something happier, then," Shaun says, and he turns to grin mischievously at Neriah. "Why don't you tell us about that ring, huh?"

Her eyes widen as she realizes he's seen it, just now, when he'd kissed her knuckles. I'm impressed that he's managed to piece it all together so quickly. She barely has time to compose herself, however, because my mom is immediately squealing, and I can't help but snicker under my breath as all hell breaks loose. Ethan manages to escape the pandemonium quickly unfurling in the middle of the corridor, and he steps closer to Arkarian and I, still in the dining room. He winces.

"Well, that's one way to turn things to a different topic," he mutters. I chuckle.

"It was bound to get discovered sooner or later, I suppose. Let them deal with that, I harbor no illusions that Matt will ever let me live it down the day I get engaged."

"They're not really engaged, though... and frankly, I would be very surprised if they did get engaged before you two."

"I'm honestly very happy that he's going to get the worst of it, I don't know what you're talking about," I laugh. Arkarian chuckles as well.

"I can't say I don't know why they'd want to be engaged, or promised, or whatever the hell they call that," he shrugs. "But I also see no reason to rush."

"You're clearly more patient than everyone else combined," Ethan rolls his eyes. "Please do get married before the rest of us die, will you?"

"Stop that," I swat at his arm, and he laughs.

"I don't think we've ever even talked about it," Arkarian offers tentatively. "I know views on marriage are changing, as of late..."

"I..."

"Wait, wait, if you're going to propose we need to call everyone else," Ethan interrupts, clearly enjoying himself too much. Arkarian rolls his eyes.

"I'm not going to propose. But in case you've missed it, people don't get engaged without even knowing if their partner is morally opposed to the institution that marriage _is_. What do _you_ think, for example?"

"I think I'll get sad if I think for too long about marriage, so how about I don't?" he shoots back. Arkarian sighs.

"Well, _I_ am not morally opposed to marriage," I interrupt before they can both be sad. "But I'm also not in a rush. I imagine you might want to be the one to propose, but if you'd like me to do it, I'll figure it out," I offer, and Arkarian laughs.

"I'd rather do it, if that's alright with you."

"Like I said — I figured you'd rather do it. Apparently, our only condition is that it's some time in Ethan's lifetime or so," I remind him. He shakes his head.

"Actually, that's more of Shaun's lifetime or so, if you want to get really morbid," he adds. "He's probably, aside from me, the oldest here."

"Way to make this not fun anymore," Ethan grumbles, and we both laugh.

"Well, now you know how it feels every time you call us out on that."

"Duly noted."

Somewhere, a phone starts ringing with an alarm, and Matt, tomato-red, sighs.

"Well, that's our cue to turn on the TV," he announces. "It's ten minutes to midnight!"

He doesn't get to escape his current personal hell just yet, but as they all move toward the living room, I manage to drag Arkarian to the kitchen to pick up the champagne flutes from the cupboard. He's smiling as we leave them all to keep embarrassing my brother.

"This is a nice change of pace, having them all fuss about someone else's relationship," he mumbles, which makes me snicker.

"Isn't it?"

I pull a tray from a drawer and hand it to him so I can start counting the flutes. I tap them idly with a fingernail as I count, and he smiles.

"They sound like little bells," he murmurs.

"Yeah?"

"Hmm. Why do they call you Bells, and not Iz, or something like that?" he asks as I look for the champagne in the fridge. I laugh.

"I don't know… My dad used to call me Isa, before he left. I imagine my mom switched to Bells so as to not be reminded of him, and it must have stuck around..."

"I see."

"Why?"

"I just think it's cute," he laughs. "Appropriate, I suppose."

I don't get to ask him why he thinks so, however, because Jimmy comes over to help with the flutes and he grins at us.

"You two are probably enjoying not being the center of attention, knowing you both," he teases. Arkarian raises his eyebrows.

"And you're probably panicking because you don't know how to react to the news, we all have things going on in our heads, don't we?"

"Way to hit where it hurts," Jimmy gasps, touching his chest in dramatic offense. He's probably used to it, but I can't help but think of how fantastic it still is to see Arkarian talking back to someone with such familiarity. "I am. I have no idea what Coral is thinking about, or whether she's going to panic about this later."

"She's thinking about where Matt got that ring from, and symbolism. It has absolutely nothing to do with any of us," Arkarian informs him laconically, which makes him laugh. "As for the panicking, you would know better than me."

"She will," I affirm, and Jimmy sighs, but nods. "But I'm sure she'll get over it soon. It's not like they're getting married anytime soon."

"I would expect you two to do that before they even think of that, personally," Jimmy starts, but I cut him off.

"So we've heard from approximately everyone and their mothers," I mutter. He snorts.

"Come on. We're going to miss the New Year at this rate!"

People are getting ready for the countdown as we hurriedly pass champagne around, excitement already high in the room. Arkarian circles my waist with an arm, pulling me closer, and I remember.

"Why do _you_ call me Bells?" I ask him, turning around. He's closer than I thought, and my nose brushes on his temple as he leans in to be able to hear me over everyone's excited chatter. He chuckles.

"Twelve!" someone calls, and the countdown begins. Arkarian is too close for me to join in; I don't have the focus to count backwards, not when he turns around ever so slightly to mouth at my ear.

"Ever since I met you, I knew that, if our hearts made songs, yours would be light and tinkling; like a bell."

It takes me two and a half seconds to get myself together after something like that. I know, because people keep counting down, and I'm still wondering whether one day I'll be able to cope with my feelings for this man. He waits.

"You know, they say that, whatever it is you're doing when the year starts, you will be doing by the time it ends," I whisper. I can feel his smile against my cheek.

"Do they, now," he muses, and I can't tell if he's truly asking, or if he cares at all. Perhaps because he knows full well what I want.

"Mhmm," I nod. I take his champagne flute from him, placing it next to mine, forgotten in the tray. "And I know exactly what I plan to start my year with."

Everyone calls out the New Year, and I tiptoe to press our lips together, in a kiss that I hope conveys everything I'm feeling right now. And if we get a little carried away, well — no one is really paying attention to us. Seconds after, everyone's screams and squeals pull us apart, and we share a smile before we're immersed in our friends and family's good wishes for the New Year. It's not the first year since the battle, but it _is_ the first time we have spent New Year's Eve all together as a team, so I make sure to hug Ethan extra tightly. He lets me, kissing my cheek in a reassuring gesture. I catch him doing the same to Arkarian, and I can't help but smile. He's so strong, I think to myself. Stronger than he gives himself credit for. I don't know what I would do if Rochelle was alive and Arkarian was dead, and I had to spend New Year's Eve with them being all soft around one another. I'd probably cry.

I hug Ethan again, and he laughs at me, says something about ‘not thinking I was sentimental’, a joke about the eggnog… He holds me back after a moment, though, perhaps realizing why I'm hugging him again. His arms come around my waist a bit tighter, but he doesn't shake, he doesn't have the same fragility in him that he used to have, only a year or so ago. Then he pats my back, and presses another kiss to my cheek.

"Thanks," he whispers.

"Anytime," I whisper back.

He doesn't answer, but he smiles, wide, and happy, and it's the best thing he could have done for me right then.

#

I collapse on the sofa after finishing saying goodbye to Dillon and closing the door behind him, uncaring that I fall literally on top of Matt, and halfway on top of Neriah. They let me, and soon enough Ethan plops down on the arm of the sofa, leaning on me as well. Matt does grumble at that, being the one at the bottom of the pile. Jimmy considers us, and sits on the floor next to me to lean on my legs. I pat his hair approvingly, and frown when mom shakes her head and leaves the living room entirely.

"Rude," I mutter, and Jimmy makes a sound of agreement. Matt doesn't move, though it's unclear if it's because he can't, or because he doesn't care enough.

"Do I even want to ask?" Arkarian asks anyway. We all look at him and shrug, almost simultaneously. I look around myself, but find nowhere free enough to invite him to lean on me, so I point towards Neriah's side of the sofa.

"Sleepy pile. Then again, sometimes I wonder if you sleep at all, so you might not be as tired as the rest of us mortals."

"Bells, use your brain before you speak," Matt sighs from underneath me.

"Ah, fuck," I agree as I realize what he means, and yawn. "Well, the rest of us... eh... whatever we are."

"Guardians," Ethan supplies. I shrug.

"Named?" Neriah adds, a bit more specific.

"People?" Jimmy grumbles.

Matt groans.

"Yes, yes, you are all hilarious," Arkarian placates them before we can boo Matt out of the pile. He sits by Neriah's legs, much like Jimmy has done, but doesn't quite lean on her. She takes advantage of the position to pet his hair anyway, which, at least from my perspective, is hilarious.

My laughter seems to set Ethan off, and soon we’re both standing up so we can cackle to our heart's content without jostling the rest. Neriah continues to untangle Arkarian's hair without a shred of remorse, and perhaps funniest of all, he lets her, a tired smile present in his own face.

Perhaps nothing is funny, and we’re just too tired. Ethan hugs me this time, and presses a kiss to my temple, still giggling.

"I'm dying," he announces. "I'm going home, and I'm going to crash on my bed, and I'm going to go to sleep with the vague feeling that at least the year has started the right way. Thank you for inviting us," he adds, to Jimmy, and when I look up I see mom, who has appeared in the doorframe at the sound of our laughter. Mom smiles widely, opening her arms as well to hug Ethan, somewhat motherly. From behind her, I can see that Shaun and Laura have finished packing up their things from the kitchen, and are putting on their coats.

And just like that, the goodbyes start. I hug Ethan one last time before he leaves, tightly, and he squeezes me until he lifts me off the floor. I squeal.

"Ethan!"

"I meant it," he whispers when he lets me back on the floor, before he pulls away. "Thank you. I've had fun, and I'd always wanted... well, you know it, of course you do."

"I know, Ethan. We'll get to do this more often now, okay?"

"Do you think you'll manage to convince him?" he jokes, finally pulling away. I roll my eyes, and force his hat down to cover his ears.

"Of course we will. You have more power over Arkarian's feelings than you think you do, you know that, right?"

"That's what you all keep telling me," he agrees dutifully. I pretend to sigh sufferingly, and he laughs. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you. This means a lot to me. I haven't felt properly happy in a while, and this has been really great."

"Thank you for coming, Ethan," I say.

"Yeah," Matt mumbles from behind me, on the doorframe of the porch, with Neriah. "Thanks for coming, Ethan. It's been fun."

"Here's to a year of just this much fun," Ethan muses, and Neriah nods.

Arkarian, who had been still inside until now, materializes by our side. He offers Ethan a hug, who practically melts into his arms. Arkarian laughs.

"You need to sleep," he murmurs, a hint of concern in his voice that I have already grown used to. Arkarian tends to baby Ethan a lot more than he does anybody else, and Ethan doesn't seem to mind at all.

"Yeah," he agrees easily. "I think I just might manage, you know?"

"Yeah. Sleep well, Ethan."

"I... thanks," he whispers, and I might be the only one close enough to realize that, while Ethan is obviously tearing up, Arkarian is as well. "This really meant a lot to me."

"And me as well, Ethan. Of course it did."

"I'll see you soon," Ethan says, cheeks reddening.

For once, I don't have the heart to tease him about it.

Shaun and Laura say their goodbyes as well, and they all walk back toward their car, careful of the snow. I wave at them as they leave, but soon I go back inside, to find Matt and Neriah helping in the kitchen. Jimmy is still sprawled on the sofa, yawning, and Anneliese is sitting on the other sofa, checking her phone. Mom walks by us, clearly intending to tidy up the diner. Arkarian follows her, and I stay there for a moment, wondering what in the world am I supposed to do, and whether I can take my shoes off yet...?

The answer to the latter seems to be no, as Matt calls me to help him and Neriah before I manage to walk upstairs. Fine, then.

"Are you staying here?" He asks me, direct as ever, as soon as I’m in close range and he doesn't have to yell. I frown.

"I... what?"

"Well, I was thinking of staying over with Neriah," he says, this time more impatient. It takes me a second to catch the implication behind the words, but then I shrug.

"And you're telling me this, because...?"

"Because I sort of want you to back me up when inevitably mom becomes a mess at the thought of both their children having a partner to spend New Years with, that's why," he bites out. Neriah snickers, but seems to agree. I sigh.

"You're talking to the wrong person. For starters, no, I don't know if I'm staying here, but I also hadn't talked to Arkarian about it. Second... you want to talk to Jimmy on this one. He's the one who will definitely be staying, you know."

Matt sighs, sufferingly. I don't bother replying, instead walking to the living room, where Jimmy is still pretending to be a sofa blanket. I poke his side, to little effect, but he does open his eyes.

"Hey," he muses. I grin.

"Matt is conspiring, and he needs your help," I inform him. He snorts.

"They're staying over at yours, Ann?" he asks her. Anneliese shrugs.

"Neriah did ask earlier, I thought Matt would have already told you and Coral..."

"He..." Jimmy shrugs too. "He does pretty much whatever he wants. Coral won't mind too much. You know what she'll mind? Isabel leaving as well. If nothing else, because Isabel is the youngest, and Coral isn't expecting it."

"And me right with her," I frown. "Both you and Matt have assumed I'm leaving, but I still haven't really asked Arkarian about it. Maybe he has plans with the Tribunal members?"

"I highly, highly doubt it," he replies. "And even if he did, he would ditch them in a second for you. But don't let me keep you, go ask! I'll talk to Matt to see what he wants from me."

"Moral support, I believe."

It makes him laugh just as much as it makes Anneliese laugh, and it makes me realize how silly this all must seem to them. Asking for permission to sleep at a different house, being nervous that our mother won't approve... it's so mundane in comparison to being a warrior in a war to stop the destruction of History as we know it, really.

And yet, as I walk to the diner, where my mom is ranting about something or another to Arkarian, I can't help but wonder if this isn't... well. Exactly what we're meant to be doing, at our age. Growing up, and having to ask when we want to stay over with our partners, and having to suffer through our mom thinking we're still children. Worrying about finals, and whether or not we'll be working here or there the year after. Wondering about the future, and not the past, for once.

Arkarian walks out of the room to stare at me, confused.

"I'm lost," he tells me, and I realize I must have been thinking louder than I’d noticed. I blink.

"Sorry. Just... thinking. Anyway, Matt is freaking out in the kitchen, mom," I tell her. She laughs.

"Oh, I can probably guess what's up," she assures me, with the kind of face that tells me we all were right, and the one who's going to make her freak out will be me, and me alone. I smile at her anyway. "I'll go see what his problem is."

"Right."

I stay behind, though, and Arkarian nudges me curiously. I snicker.

"Matt is staying at Neriah's, and I'm here to ask you if we have plans, before my mom makes the mental jump to 'oh no both of my children are leaving me alone on New Year’s', so I know what to tell her," I explain. He seems slightly flustered at the idea, but nods.

"I'd be happy to spend the night together, but I'll leave that up to you," he says, as I thought he would. I raise an eyebrow. "I know you're going to have slightly more time to see your mom now that she knows... still, it won't be..."

"I'm talking about spending New Years together, not moving out and eloping, sheesh..." I shake my head, but tiptoe to press a kiss to his lips. He's laughing, thank the gods. "You all talk like it'll be monumental if I don't spend here absolutely every last second I can."

"Well, you _could_ spend every last second here, if you wanted to."

"I could, and it would drive both of us crazy, my mom needs her space too."

"I think Coral is more than used to the idea that you'll leave her at some point, you know?” he says, taking us back to the topic at hand. “Whether or not she expects you to spend the night here tonight, I don't think she hasn't realized you're growing up."

"Well... I hope you're right," I settle, then ask, "So, can I stay with you, then?"

"Of course, Isabel."

I'm expecting the answer, but there's something in the way he says it, really, that always sends a shiver down my spine. Something about being... wanted. As a whole, being wanted for who and what I am, without external expectations. Being wanted in the way I want him in return.

He's the one who leans in to kiss me, this time.

We walk toward the kitchen hand in hand, and get there in time to hear mom teasing Matt about using protection. I snicker, and she turns to glare at me. I tilt my head before she can speak.

"Healer," I remind her, and her arguments seem to fail her.

"Can you _do_ that?" she frowns.

"Do what?" I ask back. She thinks for a second.

"I don't even know, er... _not_ get pregnant?" she asks, raising her hands in silent questioning. I nod, choosing not to overthink it for now, or it’ll become awkward really soon.

"Don't worry, I got it," I laugh. Matt rolls his eyes. "Shut it, you could have asked if you wanted my help."

"I didn't _think_ you could use your powers to do that," he admits.

"Well, anyway," mom turns to him. "Have fun, and whatnot."

"Yes, mother; thanks for your concern, mother..."

It makes her laugh, which I suppose is a testament to how long she's had to stand Matt's sarcasm.

"We'll help you tidy up before we go," Neriah promises, to which Matt and I nod. It doesn't seem to register, though, and Matt seems incredulous. I sigh, deciding to just put it out in the open sooner rather than later.

"On that note, I'll be staying at Arkarian's tonight as well," I tell her. I'm mildly proud of myself for managing to say it like an affirmation, instead of a question. She raises her eyebrows at us, surprised. I wonder what she’s thinking, if she’s learned to talk to Arkarian in her thoughts at all.

"Coral?" Jimmy asks, gently, when she doesn't answer. She jumps.

"Ah! Yes, yes..." she frowns. "Yeah, sure. Stay safe and all that."

" _That's_ all she gets?" Matt complains, though I can tell he's about to start laughing. Mom chuckles, definitely amused.

"She's less fun to mess with than you," is what she manages to come up with. She doesn't seem too bothered, but I've known her for my entire life... I walk up to hug her. "Hey," she greets me, happily.

"You okay?" I ask her.

She sighs at this, her easy-going attitude falling a bit. Her arms tighten around me.

"I'm alright," she reassures us. "My babies are growing up, and they're happy, what else could I ask for?"

"And you're happy too, right?" I ask her. This is normally something Matt would ask, and it seems to surprise her, but I do mean it. Matt comes closer to back me up, and she purses her lips, cheeks reddening.

"O-of course! What kind of question is that?!"

"You would tell us, right?" Matt adds, a little awkwardly. "If you... If..."

"Matt..." she sighs, raising an arm from my back to caress his arm. "You're my children. I told you the same when Jimmy moved in, you're not supposed to have to take care of me, it goes the other way around. I can take care of myself just fine."

"We're a family," he insists. "We're all supposed to take care of each other. That's what you always told us."

She laughs. Nods.

"Yes, dear. Sorry, you're right. I think you're talking to too many adults lately, though. You're both so young... You need to go out and explore, and learn... Yes, of course I'm sad, and this will be the first New Year’s Eve we don't spend together the whole night, but it was going to happen at some point, no matter what, right? I'm glad you two are doing just that, and I'm glad you both have wonderful partners who you can trust."

Thankfully, Matt seems to get the memo and hugs mom as well. She squeezes us tightly before letting go. She waves her hands to shoo us away.

"Go. I won't make a fuss, come on."

"We'll help get the kitchen sorted out before we go," Matt insists. She rolls her eyes.

"Sure."

For a moment, there's silence... then I remember, and I jump before Matt can get to the sink.

"I'm washing!"

He groans. We both hate drying, and our family, who knows it, bursts out laughing.

It doesn't escape my notice, however, that mom disappears for a few minutes with Jimmy. When she comes back, her eyes are still slightly red from tears, and I'm not fully sure how I'm supposed to feel about that. I know we're leaving her with Jimmy, and that it was bound to happen eventually, but... she's been left behind enough times.

Even Matt hugs her for a long time before he goes away with Neriah and Anneliese, though by then, mom has managed to recover enough to genuinely smile at us. She sighs as Matt leaves, however. Turns to me.

"I raised two responsible little humans," she murmurs, and I feel my face heating. "Too responsible, sometimes. Go have fun, Isabel, go be eighteen. I'm too old for you to be worrying about me for something like this."

"R-right," I murmur.

It makes me wonder. Whether we're too responsible, or growing up too fast. Shaun certainly complained about it often enough... Not proper, he'd say, a bunch of kids being the centerpiece of a war. In the past few years, how different would I have turned out if I hadn't spent most of my free time with Arkarian? No matter what he looks like, I've always known he was an adult, and I've learned countless things from him, I will continue to, for years to come. Has that changed me as much as mom seems to think? Maybe I'm too close to the issue to really see it.

Arkarian bumps his side to mine as we walk up the stairs so I can pick up some stuff.

"Worrying about it only makes you more responsible, you know?" he teases. I roll my eyes.

"Says the adult here."

"If you want to get technical, we're both adults now," he reminds me, and I can't help but grin.

"We are, thank the gods. We've had enough people frown at us for that as is."

"And they will continue to do so."

"Do people seriously not have something better to do?" I murmur.

He doesn't answer, instead leaning against the doorframe as I go around the room picking up my clothes and toiletries.

It's not a new routine, really. I've stayed at his place innumerable times by now, and each time I've packed my things the same way. I'm used to packing, for camping, for trekking, for sport competitions, for holidays... Sleepovers were never a thing I was used to, as a kid, but I'd gotten used to packing for them quickly enough after I started to spend more nights with him, after the battle.

I don't want to start thinking about that, though... those first few nights weren't exactly a walk in the park. We were all still healing from that battle, from the people we'd lost. I'd gone to see him often without having been invited, out of concern... It worked out, in the end, but it hadn't been a happy time for any one of us. With time, though, we've managed to steer our relationship toward something... happier. Simpler, in a sense. Less about the war, and about our losses, and more about _us_. It was nice, we learned a lot about each other. And now here we are... Spending New Year's Eve together.

I throw it all on a sports bag, but then realize.

"Are we staying at your chambers, or...?"

"We can do that, or go to the Citadel," he shrugs. "I have a feeling you like the mountain chambers better, for some reason."

"Privacy, mostly. It always feels like someone is going to appear out of nowhere in the Citadel," I remind him. We've had variations of this conversation before, and he shakes his head in amusement.

"Someone could just as well appear out of nowhere in my chambers, though. I don't see the difference."

"One gets more use than the other, give me that at least. Besides, if someone enters your chambers, you would know. And besides, isn’t it impossible to appear _inside_ your chambers? They wouldn't appear in the middle of our room, just... somewhere near the entrance, I'd assume."

"You'd assume," he shrugs, and I immediately know there's a story there. I'll have time to ask some other day, though, so I simply sit on my bed to take off my shoes. He waves it off. "Don't bother, I can transport you there as you are."

"I'll need something to walk back though, might as well change?"

"Well, however you're more comfortable."

"You just want to take the dress off of me," I taunt him, and he laughs.

"Yes. I thought I'd made that obvious enough."

"Fine, but it's just not practical," I sigh. He tilts his head.

"I'll bring you back," he suggests. "Or you can just bring those clothes with you for tomorrow."

That's... reasonable, I suppose. I nod, slipping back the shoe I'd just taken off. I look around myself, and pack the change of clothes I was going to put on tomorrow anyway, no need to make him bring me back home in case he might have something else to do.

Mom hugs both of us briefly when we go back downstairs, and tells me to put on a jacket. Jimmy looks at her, at my dress, and shrugs, unwilling to correct her as he realizes we won’t be making the trek to the chambers by foot. I grin at him, but grab a jacket from the rack by the door anyway to pacify her anyway, and she doesn’t seem to notice anything, not even as Arkarian extends a hand toward me. Jimmy waves at us, mom and I say bye almost at the same time. Arkarian echoes it, and the next thing I know is that we're in the mountain chambers, in the middle of the dark corridor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed my story :D
> 
> If you did, please consider leaving kudos or a comment, they're greatly appreciated!
> 
> If you’d like to create related content based on my fic, please visit my profile for my blanket permission statement!
> 
> If you want to yell with me and share more headcanons for these dorks, you can find me at my tumblr, [lenalawlipop](https://lenalawlipop.tumblr.com/), the comments section down below, or any of the links in my profile. Don't be shy!
> 
> Love,
> 
> ~Lena


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter stuff I want to talk about:
> 
> \- Use condoms kid, you’re not Isabel
> 
> \- I _can’t believe_ the first time I’m going to post porn for these two is this fic in particular! I wrote them having the softest sex TM for a different fic that I haven’t finished editing and I’m quite displeased that this ended up being the first one I put out there. Oh well. I still think it’s in character and all that, I just would have wanted the cute sex to go out first. Oh well.
> 
> \- I know some ideas of how the Citadel/Arkarian’s chambers work is more technology oriented, but I’ve always leaned more towards “it’s just magic”. Sure, they have some big tech for time traveling but they also have magic so… XD
> 
> \- I know I’ve been asked before to write a proposal scene for these two. I’m sorry this wasn’t it XDD but don’t lose hope, I suppose? ;)
> 
> Ok third PSA done, it’s now 4am, I’m going to format and post the final chapter but you just go on and read this one XDD Enjoy!

# Chapter 3

The darkness doesn’t bother me, especially not as the lights around the corridor start shining softly upon our arrival. The wind, however, slides in through the cracks in the rocks around us, and I shiver.

"The air sure is colder here," I muse, and Arkarian huffs a laugh.

"Come on, let's find our room. It'll be warmer."

It'll be if we want it to be, and when we step into the room we usually occupy, we find it to now harbor a fireplace. Arkarian hums, approvingly, using his powers to light a fire in it, and soon enough, I feel my shoulders relax after the sudden chill. I place my bag near my usual side of the bed, sit on the edge.

"I'll never tire of seeing you use your powers," I tell him, quietly. I have to use my vision ability, but I soon realize he avoids my eyes for a moment because he's _blushing_. I grin. "I've told you before how cool they are. I know for a fact most of the Named agree with me, before you go around calling me biased," I add. He shakes his head.

"They took a long time to develop and train, and I'm proud of them, but... well, I don't usually show them off. Not a lot of people know about them."

He sits next to me, observing the fire dancing inside the fireplace. I follow his gaze, but it's a bit too much for my eyes, sensitive to the light as they have become, so I look back at him.

"Arkarian?"

"Hm?"

"I thought we had an agenda?"

"Hmm."

He looks back at me, and this time, the flame dances in his eyes, reflecting off of the violet and becoming a different color altogether. He smiles, and pushes my hair behind my ears, pulling me closer into a kiss in the same motion. I follow, but the kiss is simple, almost chaste. It's warm, and gentle, and I have no other option — I melt against him.

I don't have a lot to compare with, but Arkarian is an excellent kisser, and we could —and have— spent entire afternoons just kissing, without ever going further, simply enjoying the way lips felt against lips. And while I'm fairly sure we'll go further tonight, I'm in no way, shape or form opposed to a small prelude first.

I lift my legs to hook them over his, but I don't move to straddle him yet. He has alleged plans for this dress, and every now and then I actually know how to let go of control, thank you very much. He tries to hide a grin against my lips at this thought, and I bite him for it.

It's warm, perhaps too warm, by the time I realize how breathless I am, how quick my heart is beating. His hands have long since abandoned their relatively innocent position on my shoulders, and have drifted down my back to my ass, and then to my legs. Now they are tracing patterns on my thighs, under the layers of skirt of my dress, and slowly, very slowly closing in upwards. I shiver when one of his fingertips grazes the elastic of my underwear without pulling on it, and I realize my own hands are making a complete mess of his hair. Okay, so we've gotten carried away. He laughs against my mouth as I think this, and pulls his hands away. I whine, but he doesn't leave me waiting for long. Instead, he takes hold of my waist to push me upwards on the bed, toward the center, and hint that I should lay down on it, so I do, pushing my own hair away from my face. He hovers over me for a moment, taking in the sight, and I wonder briefly what I look like, before he holds one of his hands behind him to lower the flames in the fireplace. I breathe a sigh of relief when a breeze of cool air moves around the room, and we both take a deep breath.

He observes me for a second, but then shakes his head, beckons me closer. I laugh, but I let him pull me up to my feet. I know more or less what he's going for, but I still take a moment to press my body against his, enjoying his warmth more now that the room isn't threatening to boil us alive. He groans as I place tiny kisses on his neck, almost tiptoeing to reach his earlobe, but he doesn't bend down to meet me. He pushes me away gently a few moments later.

"Please," he whispers. "I've been wanting this for hours. You can have your fun after."

What he means by 'this' is unclear to me, at least until I realize his hands have found the zipper on the back of my dress. I nod, and he pulls it down, slowly, making sure I feel every single one of the metal teeth being opened. His free hand is pressed against my lower back, and only moves when the zipper is fully open, to trace fingertips up my now naked spine.

We both watch as he slowly peels the sleeves away from my arms, the body of the dress falling away from me easily after that. He lets it slide off, eyes drinking in the sight, and I have to wonder what I look like. The dress reflects the light from the fireplace in much a similar way to his own eyes, and his hands tighten around my wrist and waist as this thought reaches him. He searches for my eyes, but he doesn't say anything, he doesn't really have to say anything to make me shiver. He tugs the dress down so it goes past my hips, and it falls to the floor, so he pulls on my hand and I step out of it to all but crawl into his arms. He holds me tight.

It's perfect, just this, just now.

After a moment, his hands slide on my skin, pushing me even closer to him with a fervor that reminds me of earlier, in the dining room. The way he’d said ‘If I kiss you right now, I don’t think I’ll let you go’.

I pull on his sweater to take it off of him, and pull his shirt up to untuck it. I slip my own hands under it, scratching gently on his back, and he groans as I press my palm against his lower back, hips stuttering against my waist. His belt digs against my skin, but it's not enough to distract me from realizing he's hard, and I grin. I love knowing the effect I have on him, and after what he said earlier, I have a fairly good idea of what tonight is going to be like. I've been pressing idle kisses to his neck, and he’s let me, cupping my ass to keep me close, and squeezing when I bite tentatively under his jaw. We've never... well, not on purpose at least. The idea of marking him, though, of letting others know exactly what we've been doing the night before, of others knowing that he's mine... it's a heady thought.

I tiptoe, but once more, he refuses to bend lower so I can bring my mouth to his earlobe, where I know he’s most sensitive. His breath falters, perhaps at my thoughts, or perhaps just with anticipation, and it's only when he tries to pull on my underwear that I step away. I tug at the buttons of his shirt.

"Off..."

"You first," he all but growls, and I look back at his eyes, surprised.

It wasn't like this in the beginning, everything was a lot more... well, vanilla, is perhaps the right word. But once we found our rhythm, I had never made a secret of the fact that I liked to be on top, that I enjoyed being the one in control, and he let me most of the time. It's been a while, I think to myself as I realize tonight won't be one of those nights. He's listening, clearly, because he chuckles, and I feel a shiver run down my spine at the sound.

Wordlessly, I nod, and I move to unclasp my bra, but he bats my hands away.

"No, I want to do it," he murmurs, so instead, I turn around for him. I can feel his fingers trailing up my body to find the clasp, undo it. He lets the bra fall to the floor as he pulls me back against him, his hands teasing my ribs with just his fingertips.

Teasing me, I can't help but think, despite the fact that I can feel his cock pressed against my lower back. I wonder, with anticipation, just how much he's going to make me wait. Whether he'll have me begging before the night is over.

His mouth closes down on the side of my neck, sucking ever so gently, and I try to arch my back into his hands, but he doesn't let me. I sigh. Gods, but I'm predictable. I'm already frustrated... He laughs at me, of course he does.

"Alright then," he says, pushing me away before he's really even touched me properly.

He does it gently, as he always does, and perhaps it's because of that, that I don't manage to brace myself when he pushes me abruptly forward. I stumble, and he hooks a finger on the last piece of my underwear to pull it off of me as I nearly fall. I gasp as it pulls me back slightly as well, but he doesn't linger, letting it fall down my legs the same way he had with the dress. I step out of it, tentatively, and he slaps my ass to push me forward, toward the bed.

He's always so careful that it's easy to forget how strong he really is. The strike doesn't hurt, not at first at least, but it's hard enough that I fall against the mattress, bracing myself on my hands and knees, and I barely have any respite before I feel him turning me around so I'm on my back. His mouth is on mine before I can even take a breath, and I have to moan against his lips as his fingers finally find my nipples, tugging, and tweaking, and pinching. I try to circle his waist with my legs, but he doesn't let me, crawling over me so only one of his knees is between mine. What he does let me do is rock against him, and for a moment, we lose ourselves just like that.

His mouth wanders after a bit, pressing wet kisses to my neck, and little, tiny bites that barely hurt me, but I can feel the marks he's leaving with my powers. I don't heal them though. I want them.

He goes lower, eventually, taking my nipples in his mouth, but he doesn't linger there, not yet. I've always known he likes to take his time, but gods, it doesn't make it any easier on me... I whine as he blows on my wet skin, the change in temperature giving me goosebumps, and he presses his thigh against my core a little more, but doesn't speak. Instead, he surges up to kiss me again, and I take my chance to attempt to pull on the buttons of his shirt. He stops me. When he sits up on his heels, I think he might just take it off himself, but all he does is undo the cuff buttons and roll up his sleeves, leaving the shirt on otherwise. I pout.

"Seriously?" I ask, slightly embarrassed to find my voice already so breathy. "I don't get to touch you too?"

"Later," he promises, and grins when I start to grumble. "Behave, Isabel. Do you want me to tie you up? I can always lose the belt."

"Lose the belt anyway, some of us are naked and that thing isn't fun."

He ticks up an eyebrow, but seems to silently agree, because he slides it off the tabs, and flings it to the other side of the bed.

"Is that... a no on the belt?" he asks, tentatively. I draw a breath, realizing this might be something we’ve never really talked about… Whether he figures out what it’s about from my thoughts or not, his expression changes, like a piece of the puzzle falling into place.

"Tonight might not be a good moment to delve into it. I'm sure we have some other piece of fabric lying around?"

He doesn't push it, simply nods.

"I don't feel like trying to find one right now. I'm sure I won't need it, though..." he smirks, and I realize I'm fucked no matter what he says next. "You'll behave for me, won't you? Let me have my fill of you before you inevitably distract me?"

"Maybe if you ask nicely," I taunt him, and his eyes widen, amused.

Perhaps it's because I'm expecting to be spanked, or perhaps bitten, but it takes me completely by surprise when what he does is flick one of my nipples. Not hard, not enough to hurt, just enough to make me jump. A warning.

"What was that?" he asks again. A challenge.

Some other day, I'll fight him for it. We've never actually tried to one up each other in bed, but if actually sparring with the man is any indication, it might be just intoxicating. Now, though, we have a different agenda for the night. I put on my sweetest smile.

"Nothing!" I opt for, cheery as can be. He waits, and I tilt my head, aiming for invitingly. "Won't you do with me as you please, dear? I _have_ been asking for it all evening, after all."

"For someone who spends her every waking hour trying to prove herself, you have little respect for authority, don't you, Isabel?" he laughs, flicking my nipple again. "Or is that it? Does danger do it for you?"

"I'm not scared of you, Arkarian," I can't help but say, and I curse my lack of filter as he smiles, nearly feral. "Fuck."

"Quite," he muses, but he doesn't add anything else.

He refuses to undress, and what's more, he takes my hands to push them above my head against the mattress, with an unspoken request not to move them, so I'm left with no way to truly touch him while he looks at me, halfway between admiring and assessing. He's leaning over me, but he isn't touching me, save for our legs, still intertwined, so all I can do is arch my back and pray that he plans to have mercy on me sooner rather than later. Things have barely started, but I can already tell he plans on dragging it out.

"We have nothing if not time, dear heart," he whispers against the skin of my shoulder, before pressing a kiss there, and sucking a bruise right after, the contrast with the softness of his lips dizzying.

In a sense, I'm glad we know each other so well by now. He can literally read my mind, but it had taken me considerably longer to get to read him as well as he reads me. I'm more than fine with letting him lead this time, especially because the longer he spends simply pressing kisses and slight bruises on my skin, the more I realize this won't be turning into a control thing. It rarely ever is, with us, not more than it has to. One of us leads, most of the time me, but we don't make a game of it. This time is no different.

We _could_. But like he said, we have nothing if not time... and neither of us is in a rush right now. It's the gods know how late, we've had an eventful day, and emotions have been running high all throughout it. We're both riled up, but we're not in a mood for _taking_ control. But _giving_ it, now, that’s somehow completely different.

He bites me, perhaps because of my thoughts, or perhaps just because he feels like it, and I jump. He's drifted down my torso, magnanimously sparing my chest, but focusing his efforts instead on my hips, my waist, almost near my ribs, judging by the bites that have hurt the most. I nearly bring my hands down to rub at the skin, but he gets there first, this time definitely listening to my thoughts. He licks at my bruised skin gently, with the tip of his tongue, and smoothens his fingertips over it with a calming pressure that eases the sting a little. Then he keeps moving downwards.

He takes his time playing with my belly button, sucking, nibbling, pulling at the rim with his lips, sometimes with his fingers. He's moved too far away for me to rub against his leg at this point, and unsurprisingly, he smiles, altogether _too_ pleased with himself, when I moan, frustrated. I try to pull him closer with my legs, but he ignores me.

If he'd kept going lower, I wouldn't have minded, but he doesn't. Or at least, not linearly. He does, however, stand up at the feet of the bed, pulling me close enough to lift my legs in the air, and start pressing kisses around his own fingers, curled around my ankles. I think I cry out with the first bite, on the sensitive inner side of skin just above my left ankle, but after that, I lose track of them. He encourages me to rest my other leg on his shoulder, which I do, as he focuses on my left, but soon enough he seems to change his mind. As he pushes my ankle out in a wide motion, I can't help but put on a bit of a show.

Sue me. Being flexible is nice in bed.

Even without using my sight ability, it's not difficult to follow his eyes as they roam my body appreciatively, even if they're slightly obscured by the semi darkness. The fireplace is behind him, and his shadow is nice on my eyes. He pushes my left leg down as well, and I keep them both splayed open, wondering if I'd be allowed to lower my hands to hold my legs out like this. His only answer is a chiding tap on the underside of my thigh, and I take it as a no. Well. That'll take a bit more effort, I suppose.

"I know you can take it," he murmurs, almost conversationally. I roll my eyes, but I don't have much to argue with.

After a second of waiting, he rewards my silence with a gentle caress down my abdomen, the curve of my hip. His fingers pet my hair briefly, as if soothing me, when in reality having his touch so close to my clit is almost enough to make my hips buckle. I whine, but it's slightly too early to beg. He still looks like he has something planned.

And he does. He goes back to my legs, making me shiver and jump here and there as he leaves a trail of hickeys on them, mostly around my ankles, but also just under my knee, a few centimeters below, on the inside of my thighs, but not truly touching me...

By the time he starts licking at my thighs close enough that his hair tickles my clit, I'm not really bothering to keep my voice down. I cant my hips upward, and he slaps the thigh he's not currently marking, with a resounding smack. It makes me jerk forward in a rush of sensation, so intense it makes me wonder if I just came without being touched whatsoever. It's... hard to tell, but whatever that was, he seems pleased with the result because he tries it again, biting down on a patch of skin and slapping my other leg at the same time. Even expecting it, it's... intense.

I'm babbling incoherently when he stops to give me room to breathe, and we look into each other's eyes. He's smiling, rather more smug than anyone who knows him would ever give him credit for. In other circumstances, I might be annoyed that no one would believe me if I told them, but tonight... Gods, tonight it's dizzying, the knowledge that he wants me so completely, and wants me to want him so in return. His eyes flutter closed, and finally, _finally_ , he lets me put my legs down again and surges up to kiss me.

It's messy, this time. His lips are red, and swollen, and he very nearly whines as I bite on them further. His hair falls around us, shielding almost all the light from the fireplace, and I have to remind myself that I'm not supposed to move before accidentally lowering my hands to push it aside. He rests his forehead on my shoulder after a moment, though, observing his work. I look down as well, as much as I can. My powers are nagging at me, on the back of my head, yelling that I should heal myself, that I'm bruised all over, but I ignore them. I'm not sure I could focus for long enough to heal them anyway, not with Arkarian looking at me like he is right now. He pushes himself up again, taking my hands in his to lick the fingertips, teasingly. He swirls his tongue around one of my fingers, and somehow, even though I'm expecting it, the feeling of his teeth on my fingertips is so precise, so detailed, that it makes me shudder. I press against the sharp edges, pushing in a little, and he allows it for a moment, lips curving around my fingers in a way that tells me he’s trying not to smile. When he lets go, it’s with a quiet pop of air that startles me, and he does chuckle at that. He places my hands on his shoulders this time, coming closer to kiss me again.

"I've wanted to do this for so long," he breathes, as if confessing to a dark secret. I can't help but laugh.

"Is it living up to the expectations?"

He groans as an answer, hips stuttering against mine. I can't help but hiss, though, the rough material of his trousers a bit too much for how sensitive my skin is by now. After a second, he seems to realize it as well, and chuckles.

"I did say you could have your fun later, didn't I..." he muses, and before I can understand the sentence itself, he's pushing himself to his feet. "What do you want, Isabel?"

I want to look, for starters, so I prop myself on my elbows, taking stock of my body. I lose count of the multiple small red splotches around my skin, shifting my legs closed instinctively with a relieved sigh. When I finally look up, his eyes are burning just as much as the fire behind his back. I sit up, and look at him as well.

His hair is not as bad as I would have expected, but then again, I've had to keep my hands to myself... His shirt is partially untucked, and his trousers are rumpled, with a dark patch where he'd been pressed against me. Even in the semi darkness, without using my sight ability, they leave little to the imagination. I beckon him closer so I don't have to stand up on the cold floor, and immediately undo the button. I don't have as much patience as he does, especially not after what he's just put me through.

He lets me work, breath stuttering slightly as I pull his trousers off, but helping me get rid of them and otherwise not rushing me. As he steps out of them completely, I pull him down so I can finally straddle him properly. The hair on his legs tickles my thighs, and I'm acutely aware of how sensitive my skin still is. He closes his eyes, either following my thoughts, or having something on his own mind, I can't say. In any case, it's a good reminder to shield my thoughts while I do this... He does open his eyes again, at that, and I laugh.

"Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise," I tell him quietly, and he hums, leaning up a little to ask for a kiss. I comply.

I see immediately why he'd wanted me to keep my hands to myself. It's nearly impossible to focus on what I want to do, where I want to mark him, with his hands tracing patterns on my back, pressing on my waist like he wants his very own _fingers_ to create bruises there. I grind against him for a little while, and I'm already so wet that his underwear barely offers any resistance. I can feel him twitch against me and, for a moment, it's very tempting to just... leave this for some other time. Just get on with it... But no.

He's not the only one who finds this kind of thing hot, and tonight is a perfect opportunity. What better way to start the year?

I sit up, glad that the messy bun Neriah had pinned on my head earlier is still somewhat holding up. Arkarian still has his hands on my hips, encouraging me to move, but I bring them up, in a similar fashion as he'd done to me, and he whines. Honest to gods, he whines. The nerve of this man. I can't help but laugh at him.

"I waited for my turn," I remind him, playfully pressing his hands above his head on the mattress. I can see him starting to reply, so I interrupt him. "I was good, won't you sit still and be good for me as well?"

Whatever he was about to say dies on his tongue, and he holds his breath in surprise, but he simply nods in silence after a moment, leaving me to wonder if maybe that somehow does it for him, being told he's good. I can feel his heart beating wildly with my powers, however, and now doesn't seem like a good moment to stop just to ask, so I waste no time in leaning forward to start kissing his skin.

I know how sensitive his neck is, so I only press a chaste kiss to it before moving forward, and his disappointment is almost palpable. It's still early for that, though... I pull at the skin on his shoulder with my lips at first, then my teeth, until I can tell it reddens. It would be a bit difficult, spotting the color on his skin by firelight, but that is hardly a problem given my ability. His skin, paler than mine, bruises easily, and I continue placing bite marks around his collarbone. As I move, I undo the rest of the buttons of his shirt, letting it fall open so I can continue exploring his chest with my mouth. I lick and suck at his nipples, playing with them until he's all but panting, but I don't spend too much time teasing him. I don't have the patience to drag this out quite as much as he already has...

His belly is ticklish, somehow even more so than mine, and I take the chance to take both our minds off of the urgency of the moment, for just a few seconds. I’m not sure I’d have enough willpower to see this through, otherwise... He laughs, startled and high-pitched, eyes flowing open at the unexpected sensation as I poke his belly button with my tongue. He finds my eyes, and after a second of realization, he shrieks in laughter as I use my hands to tickle him even more. His hands come down before he even realizes it to push me away, and I fight him as best as I can for a few moments. We end up tangled on our sides, legs on the wrong side of hurting with how they've ended up trapped. He's panting by my ear, one of my hands firmly trapped between his fingers, his other hand trapped in mine. I start laughing, just as breathless, and he snorts, letting go of me to fall on his back again. He glares at me.

"No," is all he says as he starts catching his breath. "Just... no."

"Sorry," I start, between hiccups of laughter. "I couldn't help myself. No more tickling, I promise."

He eyes me warily as I place one more kiss to his belly, firm enough that it won't tickle him, but I mean it. I look at his hands pointedly until he puts them above his head again, and only then do I move further.

I tug his underwear down, but even as I do so, I wonder if it's a good idea. It's impossibly difficult not to get sidetracked, so close to his cock, and feeling it twitch and bob against my chest as I move, but I do try my best to pay attention to his hips. He's left mine in quite a state, and I can't stop thinking of what he might wear the next day. If he wears a t-shirt, would it ride up enough to show these off? The thought is more than enough to keep me focused, at least until I've pressed enough hickeys on him that he's all but squirming, and I have no more excuses to keep going.

I don't have it in me to tease him as much as he's teased me. With a look up, I realize he's closed his eyes again, and I take the chance to surprise him when I take him in my mouth, slowly, but as deep as I can go. Sometimes I like to have him watch, tease until I finally wrap my lips around him, but this time I don't have the patience anymore... And it's worth it, it's worth every second of torturous waiting until now. His eyes flutter open, his back arching upwards as he throws his head back with a moan, and he moves his hands almost instinctively, before he drops them by his sides, fingers pulled taut into fists. I can't help but smile, pulling away slightly so I can rearrange myself on the bed. He pushes himself up on his elbows, catching his breath as I lay myself on my side, almost perpendicular to him. I hide my toes under one of the pillows, more to feel the softness of the pillowcase than to warm myself. The room has once again turned hot, but whether it's because of the fireplace, or simply because of us, it's difficult to tell anymore. He observes me, eyes lidded, and I smirk.

"Problem?" I murmur, reaching to lean on his lap. He bites his lips as he shakes his head. "Good," I tell him, and before I can even touch him again, I can feel the shudder going through him. Huh. So I was right...

"Come here," he says, before I can lean down. I look, and his hand is reaching over toward my hip.

I don’t answer immediately, confused for about two seconds, until I realize what he means. I can't choke back a yelp as he all but drags my hips closer to him so he can touch me as well. I think we both moan when he slides a finger ever so softly over my folds. His head falls forward, his hair obscuring his features for a moment until he shakes it away. He's biting his lips as he finds my clit, offering the smallest of pressures.

"Gods, you're..." he starts, cutting off as I choose to use my hands as well and I drag my fingertips over the tip of his cock. "Mmm… you're so wet..." he moans.

He doesn't say anything afterwards, not anything coherent, in any case. I eventually manage to find a comfortable position where he can still touch me while I touch him, and for a moment, only the fireplace, cracking in the background, accompanies our heavy breaths and the sounds of hands and mouths pleasuring each other.

Even now, when we're both desperate to stop the games and just have each other, there seems to be an unspoken agreement to take it slowly. For a minute or two, he only touches me with his fingertips, and we keep our eyes locked on one another as we do, trying our best to keep them open. In the end, I'm fairly sure I break eye contact first, too overwhelmed when he taps on my clit with his fingers flat against me, a quick and gentle strike that sparks my nerve endings all the way down to my toes. He repeats it, once, twice. The third time I manage to move in response and his rhythm stutters as I push myself up enough to put my lips to better use. I mouth at the underside of his cock, tracing lines on it with my tongue, going lower to take his balls into my mouth.

I wait until my own mind feels a little clearer to let go and redirect my mouth to the soft skin of his thighs, which tremble as he feels me bite on it, upside down and messy, a lot messier than the other bites had been. I move back so I can reach the leg I'd been leaning on, and his hands leave me. When I look, he gestures for me to come up.

I'd thought before that we wouldn't get to the point of fighting to take the lead, tonight, but as we both take in the sight of the other, it's pretty clear we both want the same thing. I kiss him, using my momentum to make him fall back, but he slides a leg between mine, pushing a knee against my hip to tilt me to the side, and pin me down instead. I push out his elbows until he loses his balance, and just like this, we lose a few minutes fighting one another and just... kissing. Lips mashing against each other, no longer cautious that we're too sore. I heal our lips without hesitation, just so we don't hurt each other but we can still feel it, and he bites me hard enough to make me bleed anyway. I bite him back, as I heal myself, but he uses the moment of distraction to trap my hands once more, and I have to concede. He only takes a second to get his breath back, before he pulls himself up enough to rearrange our legs, letting go of my hands now that I've relented. I immediately go for his shirt, undoing the buttons quickly and pushing it back, and he finally, finally takes it off. With _that_ out of the way, I pull him back to me. The feeling of his entire body pressed to mine now, no clothes in the way, is like no other. He holds me, letting out a shaky breath as he rests his head on my chest, and I comb his hair back for a few seconds. When he looks at me, ticking up an eyebrow, I nod. I thread my fingers on his hair to push it back and pull him closer at the same time.

"Come on, then," I whisper as he kisses me, raising my legs to circle his waist. One of his hands finds the underside of my thigh, pushing it a bit higher still. "Arkarian..." I insist, and he presses an apology kiss to the corner of my lips, before lowering his head to see. His other hand still finds my clit briefly, before he takes himself in hand and finally enters me.

I think we both sigh in a mix of relief and arousal, and when he balances himself on one of his forearms, the other hand still hooked under my knee, and starts moving, I already know this won't take much longer at all.

He's pressed close enough that I can't move much, so I occupy my hands on braiding his hair. It's not perfect, hell, it's not even a good braid, but it's enough that I can eventually shift all of his hair out of the way and also use it to keep a hold of him. I tug, firmly, though not with a lot of force, and he looks at me defiantly, daring me to keep it up. I ease up, but he and I both know I'll keep it in mind. I can't focus enough to shield my thoughts anymore, and I wouldn't want to. At this point, if he isn't fully _in_ me, in as many ways as he can, what's even the point...

He laughs breathlessly at this idea, leaning forward to shift his angle and press more directly on my clit with every thrust. I gasp when he pinches the sensitive skin under my thigh, almost behind my knee, and I can feel my hips buckle without my consent. His eyes screw shut as I moan his name.

"Bells... I..." he starts, but I don't let him finish.

I had almost forgotten, as things devolved quickly after some point, but now that he's so close and within reach, I only have to lean up a little to mouth at the skin of his neck, so far unmarked. I'd intended to leave it for last, knowing how much he enjoyed it, and as he groans at the simple thought of it, hips grinding into mine as his rhythm falters, I know it had been the right idea.

If we weren't already so close, both of us, I would take my time. I'd press little, chaste kisses here and there, and tease his earlobes one by one. As things are, I start directly by sucking one of his earlobes into my mouth, rough, and wet, and there's nothing more gratifying than the full body shudder that goes through him at that. I move lower, as much as I can while he continues to thrust into me, rhythm sloppy, quick and dirty, and I'm on the brink of coming when I remember —

He gasps when I pull on his hair, tilting his head backwards enough for me to bite at his throat, just under his jaw, then closer to the juncture of his neck and shoulder. His entire body stiffens as I suck on the skin, bringing blood up enough to bruise, but what really does it, what really, finally does it, is when I pull away enough to whisper in his ear.

"Mine."

He collapses on top of me as he comes, hard, breathless, and desperate, and brings me down with him into absolute, utter bliss.

#

"I swear to all the gods, if you apologize one more time..."

"Fine, fine. Sorry."

I consider, idly, whether apologizing for over apologizing counts, and whether I need to do something about it. He doesn't seem to register he's even said it. He's apologizing for something dumb, anyway.

"I've told you a million times, you heard me tell my mom earlier!"

"I know," he insists, and I turn around to burrow my face into his neck, and hopefully stop talking about this.

"I love you but you worry so much, stop killing our afterglow," I grumble.

This, at the very least, makes him laugh. He presses a kiss to my hair, and I sigh, content enough to stay as we are. But I know he's still worrying, and I have the slight feeling this is no longer about safe sex practices.

"Okay, fine, alright, what _is_ the problem now," I ask him, deadpan, and he snorts. I pull away to look him in the eye, and he shakes his head.

"Not a problem, promise," he says, leaning in to kiss me.

"Then?"

I'm not using my night vision anymore, so it takes me a longer time than usual to spot the color that reaches his cheeks as he thinks of what he wants to say. I arch my eyebrows.

"Really? After everything you said earlier, and tonight's activities, you're going to be shy about it?"

"Shh, I'm thinking," he says, and I drop my head back on his shoulder while I wait. "It's just... what you said at the end..."

He doesn't finish, perhaps waiting for me to say something, but for once, I'm perfectly content letting him put it all out in the open before I say anything. I know what I said. If it bothered him, he's going to have to tell me, because...

"No, no, it didn't bother me," he rushes to add, clearly following my thoughts. I turn enough to look at him, and he's frowning. "Of course it didn't bother me. Gods, it was..." he doesn't finish, swallowing and chuckling, a little breathless. "It was something, that's for sure."

"Hmm," I mumble, unsure of what his point really is. He sighs.

"The thing is, I know..." he sighs again, interrupting himself in his frustration.

Whatever it is, he's really worked up about it all of a sudden... I push myself up on my elbow to look at him in the eye.

"You liked it," I assess, and he nods. "Should I not have said that anyway? I thought, after what we talked about in my room..."

"No, you said exactly the right thing. Gods, I'm terrible at this," he laughs at himself, shakes his head. "You're going to think it's absurd, but just... hear me out for a moment," he tries again. I nod. "So, you know I've been with other people before. Those times, especially the older I was, and the better my reputation within the Guard became... well, people started to think about me differently, right? I wasn't... Well, I don't want to say they didn't think of me as a person, but most people had trouble thinking of me as a true equal, you know?"

"That's something that's always worried you," I muse, and he nods. "I remember. I really respect your experience, and your expertise, but... to a certain extent, you've never really treated me like you expected me to think of you differently for it, so I didn't?"

"And I love that. Having this kind of relationship with you, where we can both see each other as equals despite our differences, is more than I could have ever dreamed of," he assures me. I can't help but smile.

"Aww..."

"But that's the thing," he continues, before we get sidetracked. "When I was with them, they sometimes thought of being with me as some sort of... well, some just thought they were lucky, others thought of it as a bit of a trophy... many have felt possessive of me, in a way that wasn't exactly what I wanted, you know?"

He looks at me then, and he must spot the disgust in my face, because he chuckles, raising a hand to comb the locks of hair that have fallen off my bun behind my ear.

"It was fine, Isabel. I didn't mind. It was rarely ever a situation where I cared much what they thought of me, you know that. It was... you know. It was just sex, really."

"Right..."

"Still. It's not that I don't enjoy possessiveness as a kink thing, it's that... it's never felt this way, it's never felt this _right_ ," he murmurs, blushing so much I can see his ears starting to redden. I can't help but smile wider, leaning up to ask for a kiss. He indulges me. "Most of those people never voiced those thoughts, either. It would have felt awkward, considering the kind of relationship we had. I've never had someone say that to me with so much certainty, when I was already feeling that way..." he shakes his head slowly. "Gods. For a moment, I thought you might have been reading my mind."

I pout, which draws another chuckle from him. He knows full well how much I wish I could.

"You know, I also think being able to have you is a bit of a miracle. I've been starstruck literally since we met, and I don't think it's going away anytime soon," I mutter, hoping to just raise his hackles a little, and he snorts, pulling me closer.

"Not even remotely comparable," he dismisses it easily. I sigh.

"Tell me, then?" I ask, quietly. As I feel my cheeks burn, I realize how difficult it is to talk about this, and I feel slightly awkward for having made fun of him earlier. He hums inquisitively.

"That I'm yours? Isabel, you know that I..."

"No, no," I interrupt, seeking out his lips so I don't get trapped in his eyes. "I... I know that."

"Then— oh," he breathes, and his arms tighten around me, forcing a squeak out of me, a sound I hadn't even been aware I could make, outside of sex. He chuckles somewhat darkly, and pulls away to look at me anyway, the full force of those amazing eyes focused entirely on mine. "Of course... Of course you're mine as well, Isabel. Not just because you want it enough to ask me to say it out loud, but I mean... look at you," he gestures vaguely, but I know what he means. "You're covered in me, you've literally scolded me for apologizing after coming inside you," he laughs, not maliciously, but I know I must be blushing heavily now. I open my mouth to speak, but he continues. "Not content with that, you claim me for yourself in front of others. Your brother even said it... _did_ you see what you were wearing? You're mine, Bells, and it is so because of your own free choice. Yes, you're my soulmate, but you didn't know that when you made all the decisions that led us to eventually be together, you did that all on your own. So, yes, you're mine. Mine, beloved," he repeats, against my lips.

Sweet mercy. This man is a menace...

I reach to kiss him rather more out of a sense of self-preservation than anything else. If I let him talk any more than that, I would be in serious risk of melting into a puddle. He shakes with laughter as my thoughts reach him, but he kisses me back anyway, slowly, refusing to meet my much more desperate pace. His hands slide on my back gently, and for a moment I consider a second round, but...

"It's late," I mumble, apologetic. As it turns out, he seems to be thinking something along the same lines. He shakes his head.

"Agreed. Let's clean up?"

"Mmhm."

We still get sidetracked getting out of bed, and tonight isn't even one of the times where we have to untangle the bedsheets from our bodies. The fire is dying down as we stand up, and Arkarian gives a half-hearted attempt to rekindle it, but there's not enough wood, and it becomes smaller immediately after. He sighs, shuffling toward the fireplace to add another couple of logs. I pick up our clothes as he does, and since he isn't looking, I take the chance to slip on his shirt. It's big on me, but the sleeves are still rolled up, so at least I'm not completely dwarfed by it. He smiles appreciatively when he does turn around, and I close a few of the buttons before I realize I haven't brought any shoes. I groan, and pick up my heels.

"I'm not stepping on the stone floor outside without shoes," I declare when I realize he's about to ask. He laughs.

"After all this time, you still haven't figured out how these rooms work, Isabel?"

He points to one of the walls and a door materializes before my eyes, making me click my tongue. Of course. He doesn't tease me more for it though, instead leading the way to the bathroom without bothering to put on any clothes. Not that we really need them... what we need is a shower.

The bathroom is... not really a bathroom, in the traditional sense. I knew the mountain hid a multitude of rooms and that they were ever-changing, but it has never manifested this bathroom for me before. Arkarian must have called it somehow, or willed it into existence, I'm not exactly clear on the specific details. When I look around me, my things seem to have moved from my bag to the sides of a bathroom sink, in a corner. The rest of the room is... open-ended, might be a word for it.

Arkarian turns on a knob in one of the walls, for a shower that blends together with the tiles, and starts washing off. Further into the room, there's such a vast expanse of water that I can't help but wonder if the room _ends_ at some point... The water seems to be hot enough to steam, and the far edges of the room are quite blurry. It's some sort of pool, but the edge looks more like a shore than anything else, and it's hard to say how deep it becomes.

"Come on," Arkarian calls me, startling me back to reality. "Do you want me to help with your hair?"

"Only if I can help with yours," I reply, almost automatically. It makes him snort, but he agrees.

"Come on then."

I realize pretty quickly what he means by helping with my hair. He comes closer so the water doesn't hit me, and starts helping me fish the hairpins out. It's only when they're all out and my hair is mostly falling down my shoulders that he pulls on my hand to get me under the water spray as well. I yelp, but I'm soaked before I can complain, and I can't help but laugh as he looks me up and down, smug as ever, his shirt now nearly see-through as it clings to my skin. I shake my head, but let him look his fill.

"I swear, no one would ever believe me if I told them you continue to pull this shit off, somehow," I mutter, and he chuckles, helping me get rid of it after a moment.

"Maybe Jimmy would. You might be able to convince Ethan, too. But Shaun would most definitely pretend he hasn't heard you, and I'm not entirely sure that Neriah would even know what to do with that information."

"Fair, I suppose."

"I think Matt would go away as soon as you even brought up the conversation," he continues, rather amused with the idea. He pours shampoo on his hands and motions for me to turn around. "And Dillon would manage to turn it around enough to laugh at you too for it. As for the Tribunal members, I imagine it might depend on who you're talking to."

"Oh, I'm sure _some_ of them would find it hilarious," I murmur, closing my eyes so the shampoo won't get in them. He laughs, good naturedly. We've had this conversation before.

"Hmm, I do wonder if I'm very different now, from how I was back then... It has been a while."

To that, I have no answer. He's told me here and there about some of his previous relationships, those that mattered the most to him at the time. It had surprised me in the beginning, how many of them were centuries ago. It had taken me quite a lot longer to figure out that he'd become more cautious with time. In my defense, it still feels strange to think of an Arkarian as cold as he describes himself. He's told me repeatedly to ask Jimmy or Shaun if I don't believe him, but, at this point, I think I'm rather more scared to find out just how true it is.

He tilts my head back to wash off the shampoo, and I let those thoughts drift away too. It doesn't matter right now. The real Arkarian is right here, and there's no need to reminisce about a past version of him right now.

"Of all the things I expected you to be curious about, my past would have been one of them," he comments when I pick up the shampoo to repay the favor. He's already undone the disastrous braid I'd put his hair in, so I can get on with it.

"I am," I answer tentatively. "But there are some parts of it that... I know asking will lead to a conversation. It's... gods, it's probably some hour of the _morning_. It's probably not even late anymore, it's _early_."

"Fair enough."

It still takes us a minute or two to get clean, and I marvel at how this is still, somehow, new. It's been... over a year already, since we did this for the first time. We've showered together countless times since, and yet, it's still more thrilling than it has a right to be. I feel my skin burn when I notice him observing me, and I can tell he averts his eyes whenever he sees _me_ looking, and I have to catch myself a few times before I try to convince both of us into going again. I might just never manage to get over the way he looks at me, and it's fantastic.

"Come on," he whispers after we're both done, closing the water tap. "You have to try the water. It comes from the lake, if you're wondering, but it's not cold."

"It's... steaming," I point out, with a yawn. "Won't it be too hot?"

He shakes his head and pulls me by the hand until our feet touch the strange, warm shore. It's not too hot. It's a bit more than I would have expected from water that supposedly comes from the lake, but... I've learned not to question neither the Citadel, nor Arkarian's chambers. He leads me towards one of the walls that contain the water, and I discover it has a bench along its length. As I sit down, however, it barely reaches my waist, so we walk in further, until it reaches my shoulders while I sit. Arkarian sits by me, the water reaching somewhere above his elbows instead, but I don't get to pointing it out because he passes an arm around my shoulders, and I lean into him, any other thoughts gone.

"This is nice," I muse, and he takes a deep breath before nodding.

"We shouldn't stay much longer, in case we fall asleep, but this is one of my favorite rooms in here. On good days, you can convince the room to show you what the outside looks like right now."

"What, really?" I perk up, but he yawns and shakes his head.

"You can always do that. The rooms are designed that way. I think Ethan once compared it to something from Harry Potter, and spent an entire afternoon trying to get the room to recreate it... the chambers are mercurial, though. They're not as easy to control as his own illusions, and he got frustrated after a while."

"How do you make it happen? I've seen them change, but I don't think I've ever done it myself..."

"You just... think it. If the chambers feel like it, they'll help you out. Often, if you ask for something generic enough, they will grant it without questions."

"Questions?"

"Form of speech," he waves the hand he has over my shoulder, vaguely. "But... you know. It's hard to get _exactly_ the room you want, especially if you have a very visual imagination, like Ethan does. He always did, I imagine it's related to his abilities."

"Huh. So I could just...?"

"Well, give it a go."

He says that, but I can tell he doesn't have high expectations for the outcome. I frown, unable to decide if he really doesn't think they'll obey me, or if he's putting up a charade to taunt me. I _know_ I'm easy to bait into doing things... He yawns again, and I realize he's barely reading my thoughts. He can't be taunting me. I hope.

I try to think about the outside. It was cold... It was snowing, right. Matt had made it so. For a while, nothing happens. The only thing breaking the silence are the quiet, small sounds of the water licking at the sides of the room. The light is dim, and the decor in the room gives it an intimate atmosphere that I really like. It's a pretty room, with walls painted in lilac, and tiled floor in soft cream tones. There are no patterns, only a slight ombre that fades into the depths of the artificial lake, where the light doesn't reach. I try to use my ability, but despite gaining a few more meters, the room seems to never end. I frown. Okay, room, keep your secrets.

Arkarian does snort at that thought, but he doesn't seem to be the only one amused with the idea, because soon enough, I realize there are... snowflakes in the air? I nudge Arkarian until he opens his eyes, and blinks, surprised. He looks up.

"Well, it's not exactly the sky, but there's definitely snow," he agrees, raising a hand to try and catch some snowflakes before they melt in the steam rising from the water surface. They melt on his fingers instead, and he uses his powers to keep a few and bring them closer, then letting them melt anyway. "Pretty!" he agrees, with a smile.

We watch the snowflakes fall around us, but eventually the silence and the water sounds lull us both back to almost sleep.

I'm too tired to actually do it, but I think to myself that, one day, I really want to go for a swim with him. And while swimming in the nude in the actual lake outside is more than a little risky, there's this fake lake in here, and I'm sure the chambers would lower the temperature enough to make it the best artificial pool known to humanity...

Arkarian pulls me closer then, and tilts my head enough to kiss me. I yelp, surprised, but I lean into him, though he pushes me to my feet soon enough.

"Let's go back," he suggests. "It's too late to stay in a hot pool doing nothing, even more if we're going to get distracted."

"Look who's distracted, I was just thinking...!"

"Whose fault is it though? Trust me, I know what you were thinking, Bells."

I roll my eyes at him.

"I'm naked now too. I've been naked for the past few hours. We don't need to go swimming for me to be naked."

"Yes, but that's hot too."

"That's ridiculous. You're ridiculous."

"Don't be silly, you were the one who thought about it first," he retorts.

I guess I can't very well argue against _that_... I sigh, and follow him out of the water. The air is cold around me now, raising goosebumps on my skin. I catch sight of my reflection, covered in more hickeys than I even _remember_ getting, once we get back to the side of the room that looks more like a normal bathroom. I smirk.

"You wanna know what's hot?" I ask him, stopping him before he walks out of the room entirely. He turns around, eyebrows raised. I open my arms. "Have you seen this work of art? My boyfriend painted it."

It clearly takes him by surprise, pulling a laugh from him, louder than I'm expecting. It takes him a while to stop and get his breath back, and I use that time to find a fluffy towel to try and get the water off my skin and hair. I throw another at him, but with one look at me, it only makes him laugh more. I can't fight the smile off my face, either. I love watching him laugh.

Eventually, we go back to our room, still naked, and starting to get cold, mostly in silence despite the fact that he's still giggling to himself as he takes care of the fireplace. The flames explode for a moment, bathing the room with a wave of warm air, before dying down almost completely. Even then, I can still see some embers in there, but they're slowly dying down as well, and he joins me under the bedsheets soon after.

"Nap?" he says, his voice airy, carefree, breathless from laughter. It's one of the best sounds in the world, at least, until I register exactly what he's said.

"Nap? What kind of monster are you? I'm not waking up early on January first," I remind him. He snorts, and for a moment I fear he'll just start laughing again, but he shakes his head, cuddling closer until he's laying half on top of me. I start combing his hair back. It's wet, and it sticks to his scalp until I start running my fingers through it, hoping the warmth from the fire will be enough to dry both of us off soon.

"We can go back to sleep right after, but I'd like to see the sunrise. Feels like a good way to start the year... plus, sunrise is not that early, what with winter and all..."

"Well, _you_ figure out when that is, but I can't promise I'll be able to wake up then."

"We still have a few hours until then," he assures me, once again displaying an uncanny ability to either know what time it is, and when the sun will be up, or to fake it well enough to make me believe it.

"Wake me up at your own peril."

"Bells?" he muses. I hum a question, but in the semi darkness, and having finally managed to get my ability to quiet down enough to let me sleep, I don't have the heart to search for his eyes. "I love you," he whispers anyway, unconcerned with details like _seeing_. I smile.

"I love you too, Arkarian."

He sighs, content and sleepy, and I realize I've never felt quite as I do when I hold him in my arms, and know that _I've_ made him feel this happy.

I drift off to sleep and, like many times before and I can only assume just as many more in the future, I know I'm the luckiest person on this Earth, and I treasure it.

#

I wake up to Arkarian pressing kisses on my temple, on my cheeks, and whispering something I don't really decipher. The fireplace is lit again, orange light flickering in the walls, and I'm quickly reminded of the sunrise thing. I groan, trying to turn around and keep sleeping, but he doesn't let me. Once I'm awake, being aware of his presence is often more than enough to keep my attention, and he knows it, the asshole. He laughs, but he pulls me up until I'm sitting, and he offers me a pair of sweatpants that are definitely too big for me, and a sweater that smells absolutely divine. It's _warm_ , and I realize he must have put it all next to the fireplace for a while before waking me up. When I finally open my eyes, the fire is low across the room, and he's already dressed as well. I let him help me into his clothes, noting the lack of underwear in silence, though not really bothered. I yawn.

"If you make me walk anywhere, I will probably cry," I warn him, and clear my throat immediately after, rough with sleep. His eyes crinkle as he smiles, and shakes his head.

He stands up to pick up something else from next to the fireplace, and I stand up next to him when he calls me, stepping into a pair of slippers he's left on the floor before me.

"Thoughtful," I murmur, meaning the clothes and shoes. He curls an arm around me.

"Ready?" he asks in a whisper. I nod.

"Let's go see your famous sunrise. It better be a good one," I mumble, and he huffs, and transports us.

We're outside, obviously, and the wind has picked up considerably since last night. My hair is not wet anymore though, and soon enough he extends the warm blanket he's just picked up around us, enveloping me in his arms and both of us in a fire-warmed cocoon. I melt against him, and he holds me. He shivers, but I'm almost asleep again in seconds, standing or not.

"Look," he mumbles before I can slip back into sleep. I hum a question. "Sunrise," he insists, and so I open my eyes.

He's right. The sun is almost starting to peek from the horizon, colors changing around the area in preparation. It's still a few minutes from that, though, so I take the chance to look around us. We're in one of the areas Ethan, Matt and I used to train together, a while back, not far from the place we used to travel into the Underworld that one time. The sky is easy to see from here, and I look for the spark of black in it, but it's long gone. As it should be. After a few more minutes, we look around ourselves for a rock big enough to sit on, and we shift there, though he still insists on holding me, so I sit between his legs, leaning against his chest so the blanket can cover both of us.

In the end, I think he misses the exact moment the sun appears in the horizon, because when I spot it and turn to look at him, I find him staring at me anyway. I nudge him.

"Look, here you have it," I point with my head. "The first sunrise of the year."

He smiles, nodding in silence. His eyes keep coming back to me, though, and I have the sudden, lapidary intuition that he's about to say something that's going to upend my life yet again. I think he probably notices me tensing up, because he laughs, and lets me turn around to face him, already breathless with anticipation.

"Arkarian, I swear to..."

"Move in with me, Bells," he interrupts me, and suddenly my heart is in my _throat_ , threatening to jump right out of my chest. He simply holds my gaze, disarmingly sincere.

"W-what...?"

"Move in with me," he repeats. "I know that, now that Coral knows about this world, you're not in a hurry to move out, even though you're already eighteen, but..." he takes a deep breath. "You can spend every day at your home if you want, for as long as you can manage it without raising suspicions from your neighbors. But come back to me at night, please... I don't want to wake up without you ever again," he all but begs, close enough that I can almost kiss the words out of his lips. I think I'm trembling.

When he asked me if I wanted to be ageless, I hadn't even hesitated. When he asked me if I wanted to be in a relationship with him, I'd almost laughed. If he'd asked me if I wanted to marry him, I would have cried, and then said yes. This question, however, takes me by surprise, so much so that for a second the only thing I can do is stare at him. He waits, perhaps realizing my mind has gone entirely blank. He's looking me in the eyes, absolutely not helping with my thinking capacity. I open my mouth, but I'm unable to speak.

I want to say yes. I want to say yes _desperately_ , with a passion I hadn't even realized I had about this issue. But as his words register in my head, as the possibility of sleeping by his side every night becomes a real, fully realized thing in my mind, I know there is no way I can go back to sleeping in what has quickly been recategorized as my old bed. The corners of his mouth twitch in amusement as he reads my thoughts, and the only thing I can think of doing is turning around fully and looping my arms around his neck to pull him down for a kiss.

He hums, a low, contented sound that contains so much relief I almost melt with him. His arms tighten around me, keeping the blanket around us like a shield against the world, and when I finally manage to pull away, the sun is finally high enough to reflect off of his perfect, beautiful eyes. It also blinds him a little, and I can't help but laugh, pulling him closer again so he can hide against my hair, which he does. My fingers are definitely trembling now.

"You want that?" I ask him, not because I don't believe it, but because I need to hear it again, make sure I'm not dreaming somehow. He sighs, presses a wet kiss to the underside of my ear, and judging by the way it tingles, right on top of one of the many bruises he's left the day before.

"I want that," he confirms after a moment. "So much, Isabel. But if you need more time..."

"Oh, don't play it cool. You're reading my thoughts," I groan, and he pinches my waist."

"Yes, but as it turns out, you're not thinking much right now. Which I'm really proud of, because surprising you is always a pleasure, but doesn't really give me an answer, does it," he says, and traps my earlobe between his teeth, gently, yet still managing to make me gasp.

"Don't be silly, of course I want to move in with you," I tell him, and just saying the words makes me shiver.

"Oh," he breathes, and if I'd thought he was relieved before, it's nothing compared to the way his body goes nearly limp against mine, as he lets me catch his weight for a moment. I don't mind... I'm fully awake now.

We stay like that for a few minutes. The wind has started to pick up, and it plays with our hair, slowly but surely making our blanket cocoon cool down. Eventually, I realize if we don't go back inside, my feet will freeze and fall off. I try to redirect some blood to them, but my body really would rather not waste heat on the ends of my extremities right now. I nudge Arkarian.

"Yes," he agrees, before I can even ask. "Me too, let's move back inside."

I manage to get a last glimpse of the morning sky, but then we're back in the room... gods, _our_ room, I can't help but think. If Arkarian's sudden intake of breath is any indicator, he realizes it as well. He looks at me, slowly letting the blanket fall to the floor.

"Back to bed?" he suggests, innocently enough. I roll my eyes.

"I've never seen you go back to sleep after having woken up," I grumble, and he smiles, wide, so happy he actually sounds breathless when he next speaks.

"Then maybe you haven't stayed around in the mornings long enough," he suggests, and pulls on my hand toward the bed. I step over the blanket, and discard my slippers.

He trips over himself, falling back on the bed and pulling me along with him. Far from embarrassed, he laughs at it, and encourages me to sit on his lap, pressing kisses to my collarbones that make me almost dizzy, and I grab his hair as an anchor while he mouths at as much skin as he can get to around the collar of the shirt he's lent me.

"If this is how we're starting the year," I mumble when I notice his freezing fingertips inching up under the hem of the shirt. He slows down enough to listen. "Then we might have to keep it up the rest of the year, you know."

"They do say that whatever it is you're doing when the New Year starts, you'll be doing for the rest of it," he agrees, repeating my words from the night before. I laugh. "And I do distinctly remember we started it off kissing. So..."

He tilts to the side, making us fall on the bed and trapping me under him as he kisses me, and I don't bother putting up a fight. He kisses me deeply, strong, and sure, and he's mine, and I'm his, and this bedroom is _ours_.

The thought hits us both, really, and the feeling is so intense that we have to stop and simply... hold each other. Tight. Possibly never let go. The clothes I'm wearing smell of him, but the bedsheets under me smell of the both of us, and the room smells of burning firewood, and the mountain, and home. We might be under the mountain itself, but this is _heaven_.

We eventually manage to get back under the bedsheets, and get rid of all the clothes, but this time we know we just need to touch. To hold each other.

My mom is going to cry, Matt is going to pretend he isn't crying, hell, I'm going to cry too. But there is no doubt in my mind that this is what I'm meant to be doing. Not when this feels so right.

_'Move in with me.'_

How have I somehow not obsessed over this specific milestone before? I'm self aware, I can admit I've thought about all the cheesy stuff before. And who wouldn't? Our relationship is all but endless possibilities. Who wouldn't think about it? From the small things, like having our first kiss, to finally giving it a name, pet names, and learning how the other liked to have their tea, or coffee, or hell, just whether or not we like our salad with or without dressing, to the bigger steps like marriage, or children... Yes. Embarrassingly enough, it has all crossed my mind. And yet, the idea that we'd live together has been so obvious, that I have somehow never thought about it actually happening. Who would bring it up, or how, or when. It felt... so obvious, so simple. In a way, it is, really.

_'Move in with me.'_

_'Yes.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed my story :D
> 
> If you did, please consider leaving kudos or a comment, they're greatly appreciated!
> 
> If you’d like to create related content based on my fic, please visit my profile for my blanket permission statement!
> 
> If you want to yell with me and share more headcanons for these dorks, you can find me at my tumblr, [lenalawlipop](https://lenalawlipop.tumblr.com/), the comments section down below, or any of the links in my profile. Don't be shy!
> 
> Love,
> 
> ~Lena


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter stuff I want to talk about:
> 
> \- Ho ho holy shit I finished posting this
> 
> \- Yeah I’m giving Isabel wings what of it
> 
> \- This isn’t all that relevant but I hate monopoly. It’s boring as sin. Don’t shoot the messenger XDDD
> 
> \- The whole thing with Matt’s ring is… something I pulled out of nowhere. I misremembered he had a ring in book one, I remembered eventually the ring was a gift from Rochelle, I have since managed to forget if this is an actual fact -shrug- Thing is, this is just some other ring. Forget about canon rings. This is a random ring I invented. Welp. At least it’s a cute concept… I think?
> 
> \- _Can you tell I really like the found family trope though._
> 
> Ok fourth and final PSA done! It’s only taken me like an hour and a half to get these all up there, not to mention the past two or three months of working on this story, but I’m glad I stayed up to do it! I will now go to sleep and wake up feeling like 2020 has been fully and thoroughly finished, so… Yeah! Happy New Year, everyone. Enjoy the rest of the fic!

# Chapter 4

In the end, it turns out that Arkarian absolutely can sleep in, and that neither of us is exactly keen on going back to my place. For multiple reasons.

The first is that, as I finish putting on the extra change of clothes I'd brought, Arkarian flushes so darkly I don't even have to ask if the hickeys are too visible. Obviously, I'd be fine ignoring that, but what I'm not going to do is heal them away. Unwilling to argue just yet, we ignore The Hickey Situation for the time being.

Another reason is that... we're terrible at being together around other people. We get lost too much on each other, and yes, practice might actually help, but neither of us is looking forward to it, especially considering The Hickey Situation.

And on top of all that. Well.

Neither of us wants to break the news to my family, my mom in particular. We talk about it during breakfast, but neither of us is sure of how she's going to take it, especially after last night, after knowing how worried she is that I might be growing up too fast. Just the memory makes Arkarian look so guilty that I'm tempted to put off the conversation entirely, but I can't just ignore all of my problems, and I'm definitely ignoring The Hickey Situation. So.

In the end, it turns out I can't ignore it as much as I'd like to, though, and so a compromise is reached.

I heal away a few hickeys, just so it doesn't look like we went absolutely crazy on each other, despite knowing full well that we'll be fooling absolutely nobody, but I only heal those that will be immediately obvious. I leave a few that will be mostly covered by our hair, or clothes, and if someone notices, well... I'm not going to hide them, and frankly, I tell him, I'm almost offended that he would hide mine. It makes him roll his eyes, but he does relent.

As for telling my mom... We decide to put it off. I already spend a lot of time with him, and for the time being, we can keep things as they have been. I'll start leaving more and more things at his place, and, well, eventually we'll tell her. What we also agree on, though, is that Matt absolutely has to know from the very beginning. He'll think I've been going behind his back again, which has already backfired enough times, and plus, he'll have time to digest the concept before I actually, _officially,_ move out.

It leaves a sour taste in my mouth, though, having to postpone it... but I would feel horrible springing this on my mom out of nowhere. So... compromise. A compromise that doesn't really feel like one, because neither of us is really happy with it, but it'll have to do.

And as it turns out, it is a really good plan, because by the time we stop procrastinating it, Matt is the only one home. He's back from Neriah's, and mom and Jimmy are out on a walk, since it isn't snowing anymore. I look at Arkarian, and he nods. Matt eyes us wearily.

"You have the face of 'oh no, Matt is going to do something stupid'," he accuses, and for a moment, I'm unsure of who he's talking to. Perhaps both, the gods know he's done enough stupid shit for Arkarian to have looked at him like that as well.

The thought earns me a tin lid thrown at my face, and I duck, chuckling. Then I steal a cookie, and I sit by his side on the sofa.

"Relax, sheesh. Even if you were going to do something stupid, it's not like we can stop you. We've tried enough times, too," I say, pretending to be reassuring. He rolls his eyes.

"What have you done now? I swear to god, you'll be the death of me," he pokes me, and I shake my head.

"No, no. How did you put it last night, er... use your head before you speak?"

"No, I _mean_ it," he emphasizes.

I steal _his_ cookie, and he yells at me for it. Arkarian bursts out laughing.

"Okay, what the hell is happening though, I can't deal with the suspense," he asks again, and this time I nod, taking pity on him.

"Can you keep this from mom for a while?"

"Yeah...? But why should I?"

"Because she'll freak out, and you'll realize why in a second," I sigh, lean on his arm to try to soothe him. It works, thankfully. He waits. "So..."

"I asked Isabel to move in with me," Arkarian says, perhaps sensing I'm not sure how to break it to him. Matt's head shoots up, but to his credit, he doesn't seem _too_ surprised. Arkarian shrugs. "I... hadn't exactly planned to, but I've known for a while that I wanted to ask. It felt like a good moment."

"New Years inspire all kinds of changes, doesn't it..." Matt doesn't elaborate, but he nods, slowly. "Alright, and?"

"Think about it for two seconds," I prompt, he frowns, then realization hits him. He winces.

"Yeah... mom is not going to like that... But to be fair, I'm not sure that she'll be opposed to it?"

"I don't know if she'll be opposed to it, but..."

"I don't think she's expecting you to ask for permission, either, if that's what you're thinking. I'm fairly sure she's realized that, at some point between when we told her and now."

"Hmm," I agree, but I'm still not sure. He sighs.

"There is something I could do to help, actually. Hang on for a second, I'll be right back."

Almost before he finishes his sentence, he's pushing me away and using his wings. I look at Arkarian, who frowns, and shrugs. He sits where Matt had just been.

"What was that?" I wonder. He shrugs again.

"He'll tell us when he's back, I suppose. Do you think he'll take long?"

"No idea. He said ‘hang on for a second’, but I got the feeling that was a figure of speech."

"Right."

"Funny how we thought we'd be walking into a house full of people and yet we're once again alone," I muse, and he snorts.

"I wouldn't count on that staying that way for too much longer, though."

"Hmm. It will soon be lunch time, I'm sure mom and Jimmy will be back by then."

"You stole my seeeeeat," Matt complains, entirely unnecessarily, reappearing by the living room door. Arkarian and I laugh, but Matt waves him off when he tries to stand up. "Nah, I'm joking."

"What was that, then?" I ask him, and he grins.

"I had to consult the Tribunal real quick, and I haven't confirmed nor denied exactly why I'm doing this, so you'll have to tell them yourselves... have fun watching them all have a meltdown," he tells me, and I snort.

"They do all have a bit of a soft spot for Arkarian," I agree. He nods.

"In any case, I'm here to offer you your wings."

"That's... what?"

He laughs at my face, obviously. Immortal or not, only my brother would say something like that so... easily. He opens his arms, feigning innocence.

"Why are you surprised? It's been considered multiple times since the war ended. Spirits haven't been the highest as of late, though, and the Tribunal members didn't want to disturb any healing that needed time to be done, so... We just didn't say anything. But you have to agree, if you're moving in with Arkarian it will just be infinitely easier if you have wings too. Especially if you're avoiding mom for the time being."

"Matt, _what_?" I ask again, perhaps sounding a tad more hysteric than I mean to. He laughs some more.

"You should see your face," he snickers, and I pout. "Ah, this is glorious. Anyway, do you want them or not? I'd say don't test my patience, but frankly, you've never had any self-preservation. Didn't you say you once argued with Lorian and he tried to fry you?"

"He did," I remember, laughing. "You should have seen Ethan's face when he saw me the next morning at school, I think he was half expecting me to be dead."

"Hilarious," Matt repeats, like he himself hadn't been worried when I told him. Arkarian snorts.

"Lorian was a flashy bastard when he wanted to be," he agrees, because he knows now, I've told him before about it. Matt seems to realize what he's said, to who, but I can only smile. Arkarian doesn't seem to mind, and it's a huge improvement from a year or two ago.

"He was. Remember the time he completely dissed you for wanting to give up your agelessness? The longer it has been, the funnier it gets," I remind him. They both laugh.

"Yes. And you stalled before answering, you nearly gave me a heart attack, just like you're doing right now, Bells, for the love of the gods, can you focus?" he chastises, and I start giggling almost uncontrollably. I turn to Matt again, trying to get myself under control.

"Come on, then. I don't know why you're even asking this."

"Fair enough."

It's strange, receiving a gift. It always is, I remember starkly each of the gifts I'd received at my initiation, and when I received my agelessness gift. The wings are no different. There's light, and a brief moment of total warmth going through me, and when I open my eyes again, nothing has changed that I can tell. I'm somewhat nervous to think on it too hard.

"Is that... are you...?"

"Done," Matt reassures me. I nod.

"Am I supposed to feel any different?"

"If you're not at least a little nervous, I will disown you," he tells me, jokingly rolling his eyes. I snort.

"No, don't worry on that account. I just mean..."

"Nah, you're good. I don't think it's meant to feel like anything. Did you feel any different with any of your other gifts and abilities?"

"No."

"Well, there you have it. I'm told I'm a terrible teacher, but you can ask Ethan and Arkarian, they'll fill you in on the details."

No one has ever told Matt that, because he's actually a decent teacher when he puts some effort into it, so I roll my eyes. I tug on his sleeve before he can walk away, pull him into a hug.

"You're silly. Thank you, Matt."

"I told you, the Tribunal members had already..."

"I don't mean... Well, I do mean the wings, of course, but..."

"Thank you for not freaking out? I mean, that's fair," he agrees, laughing at himself. I squeeze him. "Easy... I'm glad you told me, though."

"I... yeah."

"Can I suggest something, while we're on the topic of the wings?" he adds, tentatively. I let him go, and nod. "Maybe... ask Ethan to help you out? We all know he had some trouble with his own wings, but... I think it might be good for him to have something to focus on. And he did always like to say how much better of an apprentice you were, compared to me, so you know..."

"I still think letting Ethan be your instructor was some weird bullshit, coming from the Tribunal members. They all knew..."

"Yes, well, Tribunal bullshit aside, I do mean it, you know. He enjoyed training with you, and I think he might need to start doing things he finds fun again. Not just... working, and then pretending to be fine when we ask him to hang out with us."

I sigh. I know what he means, but for some reason, I think he's going to take a little longer to start finding things fun again... I nod, though.

"I'll ask him about it. If we can get him to laugh at me, I'll take it, you know?"

"I don't think you'll have that much trouble. I mean, I literally needed to go to lalaland to learn how to do anything at all, and not even I had that much trouble."

"Ethan's abilities somehow come to him both instinctively easily, and not quite right, at the same time," I mumble. Arkarian nods, amused. "He only gets it exactly right when he's trained for a million years, like with his illusions and all..."

"And yet, he may never learn to shield his thoughts properly," Arkarian rolls his eyes. Matt and I wince, but I let him be the one to say it. He sighs.

"Ethan did somehow manage it, after getting tired of Rochelle reading his mind when he didn't want her to. But after she died, well, we all know how he kind of spiraled... He hasn't quite managed it ever since, at least, not that I’ve seen."

"I..." Arkarian seems confused, but after a moment, he shakes his head. "I hadn't realized..."

"He doesn't talk about it, and I wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't exactly noticed it himself. You know he forgets to shield his thoughts entirely most of the time," Matt reassures him. Arkarian shrugs, but I can already tell he’s kicking himself for not having seen it before…

"He's getting better, though," I pipe in. They look at me. "And we all know why he doesn't shield his thoughts around Arkarian, I mean, I don't either, not really. I used to, but eventually it's just easier to have them out in the open. It's not like Arkarian is going to make fun of us for them."

"Yeah, I know," Matt rolls his eyes. "And Ethan is, if nothing else, Arkarian's golden retriever."

"Yep."

"Arkarian says jump, he asks how high, and all that..."

Matt starts to walk away toward the kitchen as he speaks, so he misses the fact that Arkarian has, slowly, started to blush. I snicker. They're so cute, their friendship is literally one of the cutest things I've seen in my entire life, and no, I will never stop thinking they're funny as hell. Arkarian rolls his eyes, but has enough good sense to keep quiet. Matt doesn't seem to notice.

" _How_ is it supposed to work, then?" I ask, meaning my wings. Arkarian thinks for a moment, then shrugs.

"You have to picture a place and then... want to be there. It's like any other ability. How do you make your healing work? You have to picture what you're doing, and then..."

"Do it," I complete. It's... not helpful, I think to myself, feeling the same frustration as back when I was trying to learn to use my healing ability, when I try to organize my thoughts around it. I don't know if I want to try right now, in any case, so I let it slide. "Right. Well, I guess I might as well ask Ethan too. Just in case he wants to come over and watch me fail at using my wings."

"Or come over and grumble when you inevitably figure it out faster than him," Arkarian adds. It's literally the first time I hear him diss Ethan out loud, and I stare at him in mock astonishment until he rolls his eyes. "Come on. We both know you have always been able to figure out your abilities in a matter of days. Why would this be any different?"

"Don't worry," I wheeze, trying to contain my laughter through his explanation. "I promise not to tell Ethan that I have officially become your favorite."

"Oh for fuck's sake."

Matt merely raises his eyebrows, when he comes back and finds me nearly falling off the sofa, in tears from laughter.

"I don't know about the rest of the year, but so far it's being interesting," he muses to himself. I look up at him.

"You got fake engaged, I'm moving out, and Ethan actually smiled. Listen, next thing we'll know, mom and Jimmy will be getting married."

"I'm not engaged, fake or otherwise," he starts, then frowns. "And I wouldn't entirely discard mom and Jimmy getting married," he warns me. "Their anniversary is coming up, isn't it?"

"Oh god, do you know something? No, wait, do _you_ know something?" I ask, turning to Arkarian, who merely shrugs. "Ohh, the ultimate betrayal! You both know something!"

"I don't," Matt defends himself. Arkarian smiles.

"I do know something you both don't," he admits. "I'm not going to tell you, though."

"Oh, come on!" Matt and I complain at the same time. Arkarian seems to find it hilarious, apparently, but he shakes his head anyway.

"Nope. I know how to keep a secret."

"That's just not fair," I whine.

"Hmm... still, doesn't take a genius to figure it out. He and Jimmy are thick as thieves, so..." Matt reasons. I sigh.

"No, no, you're thinking about it the wrong way. You haven't been around nearly enough, so you may have missed it, but he talks to mom constantly and I've lost track of what they talk about. Plus, he might have just read her thoughts, you know she can’t shield them… We can't exclude mom being about to pull some shit."

"If she pulls some shit," he perks up. "She'll have literally no reason to make a fuss about you moving out!"

"Hey! Hmmm... No, it's a good idea, but I think she'll make a fuss anyway. Did you see her last night bravely not crying in front of us?"

"Oh," he huffs. "Don't remind me."

"You know what's the worst part? I'm never going to stop being her baby, and I won't even have the respite of at least looking older. She's going to baby me forever, and I'm going to have to deal with that."

"If you want to get really morbid, at least it won't be literally forever," he offers. I swat at his arm.

"Asshole."

"Fine, fine."

An easy silence falls over us, only broken by Arkarian reaching over to the tin of cookies Matt had been eating from, and taking one. After a moment, however, Matt adds:

"I swear to all gods, if you ever try to tell mom I'm fake engaged I'm telling her about you moving out."

"Ohh, how very, very scary," I roll my eyes, while Arkarian tries not to choke on his cookie while he laughs. "First of all, she already knows you're fake engaged—"

"Am _not_!"

"And second, she's going to find out at some point, and I'm not in the mood to drag it out. I just don't want it to be literally on the first day of the year, you know? Let her have us home for the rest of the holidays, at least, then we'll see."

"Fair enough."

"Also, you're totally fake engaged."

"I'm not!!"

"Keep telling that to yourself, good luck with that."

Matt groans, but doesn't answer. He leans over and takes a cookie. After a moment of consideration, he says:

"If I somehow was delusional enough to say I'm engaged, at least I will forever get to remind you I got there before you did."

"If you were delusional enough," I agree. "And you know what? I'd let you. I don't need that amount of attention."

"You're going to get it anyway, and besides, I'm not delusional. Mom is going to freak out one way or another, you know how she is."

"You know who's going to freak out?"

"... yeah," he sighs, slumping on the sofa some more.

"Is... that why you insist that you're not engaged?"

"If I say yes, will you leave me alone?"

"Not likely, no."

"Fuck."

Arkarian looks between us, perhaps trying to guess who exactly we're talking about, but it’s not really a secret.

"Ethan's better," I settle, and Matt nods, idly. "I mean it, Matt. He's better, and if he catches you doing this for his sake he's going to cry on you as punishment."

"Now, that would be creative," he agrees. "But I feel the need to remind you, I'm not doing anything. We're not engaged, alright?"

"You're going to have to give me more information on that one, then," I frown. He looks at me from the corner of his eye, warily, but after a moment he relents.

"Do you remember when I got that ring?"

"No," I shrug. "It's always been there... though you didn't use to wear it often. I think you've only been wearing it since the end of the war, is that related?"

"Somewhat. Though, to be fair, I just needed time to find it. It was buried under a lot of random memorabilia," he admits. "I've always had it, that's the thing. Mom never really knew where it came from, either, only that she had it, even before I was born, and that it was mine. Do you follow?"

"Yes, Matt, I'm not five," I roll my eyes. "So why does Neriah have it now, if it's not an engagement ring?"

"Because it works fine as a promise ring, something cute that Neriah likes, and..." he sighs, but seems to realize I'm not going to stop pestering him until he tells me, so he continues, "And because mom had it before I did, so…"

I nod, slowly, and press my lips together. Arkarian, who knows me well enough to know what I’m thinking despite my shield, and probably in an attempt to not let me ruin the moment, shoves me before I can speak. Matt jumps when I laugh.

"Sorry, sorry, it's just... If I try to make fun of you and Neriah about _children_ of all things, it's going to backfire so spectacularly, I just know it!"

"Oh gods, it would," he agrees. "I'm not touching that particular topic with a ten foot pole. Like I said, the ring doesn’t _actually_ mean anything right now. It’s not like we don’t have eternity ahead..."

"Oh, absolutely. Me moving out has to be the worst that happens to mom this year, okay?"

"Agreed. It's not like Neriah or I spend a lot of time here lately, what with the Tribunal and whatnot... We haven't moved out, but we spend enough time together as is," he muses.

"You spend days on end over there, right? But it's just a few hours on Earth?"

"Yeah."

"Huh."

"So can I just ask... exactly what kind of reaction are you expecting from your mother if you brought up kids?" Arkarian asks, wearily, startling us. Matt starts blushing, but I simply shake my head.

"After she got over the shock, you mean? I'm eighteen, and I'm her baby daughter. Hell, until very recently, I was Matt's baby sister."

"You're always going to be my baby sister," he grumbles. I wave a hand dismissively.

"Yes, but you don't treat me like a literal baby anymore," I say, and he shrugs.

"She would go on and on about how she raised us better than that, and did we learn nothing from her mistakes, and bla, bla, bla..." Matt sighs. "I mean, she probably wouldn't put it as 'mistakes', but we all know what she means. She had a rough time, bringing us up alone, and she had us very young..."

"Ah," Arkarian nods, grimacing. "I keep forgetting just how young Coral was back then..."

"Did you know our mom before she had her memories wiped?" Matt asks, curiously, and Arkarian shakes his head. I've heard this story before, but Matt probably hasn't, and I lean on Arkarian’s shoulder as he tells it again. How he heard about us and about mom from Jimmy, and the existential crisis the poor man went through after receiving that mission, and slowly fell in love with his assignment.

#

Mom finds us still in the living room, chatting, and her smile is so wide that Matt and I share a quiet look. We already weren’t going to do it, but still… There's _no_ way we can tell her right now. She starts telling us about what they've seen on their walk, entirely too chipper to be sincere, so I look at Jimmy for help. He sighs, but nods, wrapping his arms around her to stop her babbling.

"Love," he warns her, and she starts blushing. She turns around to press a kiss to his cheek.

"I'm fine. Promise."

"We talked about this," he pouts, and it's kind of fantastical, but it _works_. She sighs. "They haven't been just kids for a while, and what's the point of not telling them? They know you better than that."

"Yes, well..." she fidgets, but eventually throws Matt and I a smile. "I guess I did miss you more than I thought. It was really quiet, having breakfast just the two of us," she admits. I smile back, and Matt walks up to her to pull her from Jimmy's arms so he can hug her too.

"Well, now we're back. We can play some Monopoly before lunch, if you want," he offers. She laughs.

"You hate Monopoly!"

"I hated Monopoly back when you let Isabel cheat!" he corrects her, and we all laugh. He's not wrong.

"She won't cheat this time," mom insists, as if trying to convince him, despite it being his idea. Matt plays along.

"Monopoly it is, then."

"Should I..." Arkarian starts, but mom interrupts him with a grin.

"Do you know how to play Monopoly?" she asks him. I look at him, squeezing his hand.

"Er, yes. I... Is this a family thing? I can..."

"Oh, nonsense," she laughs, and walks up to the cupboard with the tabletop games. "You're family too! Come and choose a piece," she insists.

I have to push him toward her a little, because her words root him to the spot, as they often do. He's not nearly as used as he should be by now to being included in the family group, and it's ridiculously endearing. I'm already foreseeing that mom will try to cheat to let Arkarian win, because as everyone I've ever met does, she has a huge soft spot for him. Matt sighs, sufferingly, but nods at my thoughts. Arkarian either ignores me or doesn't hear me.

"You should call Neriah and Anneliese over," I murmur, startling Matt. He looks at me. "They're also family, right?"

"Right..."

After a moment of hesitation, he does leave. Jimmy throws an arm around my shoulders, looking at mom and Arkarian, who are counting fake money, and making sure we have everything in the box.

"They really are," he murmurs, wonderingly. Then he narrows his eyes at me. "Spill. I don't believe it for a second that he managed to go through a special occasion without being a drama king."

"Wh—" I can't help but snort, startled, and Arkarian looks back at us only to roll his eyes. "What."

"Have you met _Lorian?_ I assure you, he was heavily shadowed by the Immortal, but they're more alike than they both would have liked," he affirms, and I slip out of his hug when I double over laughing. "Am I right, though, or am I right?!"

I leave his questions unanswered, but I press a kiss on his cheek, hugging him, before going over to sit with Arkarian, lean into his arm.

_'Gods, even Matt has eventually caved in. How do you get everyone to love you?'_ I ask him, in my thoughts. He shakes his head, but there's color in his cheeks, and I feel my heart grow in my chest at the rush of affection.

Matt returns with Neriah and Anneliese minutes later, and we all sit around the table in the dining room, the only one big enough for all of us. Matt kicks me to get my attention, and for a second everything goes white, a flash of pain making me wince. He presses his foot on mine, though, and the pain eases faster than usual. He's... sending me a thought, something that feels much like my visions would feel. I frown.

It's the house, our house. Mom comes in through the door, and I gasp as I realize how young she looks. This must be a memory, and Matt couldn't be older than seven, here. Case in point, a tiny version of me walks in from the living room, chatting about something from school, and mom smiles at me. She looks tired, but manages to talk normally for me, and the nice lady who used to babysit for us, before mom and Jimmy made it official, and he moved in with us.

The woman leaves, and mom sets out to eat her own lunch. We've already eaten, and I'm distracted in the living room, probably watching TV. As Matt talks to mom about something neither of us really hears, in this vision, he's keenly aware of the moment when she steps out of the kitchen with her plate, and looks over to the dining room. We didn't use it back then, and it's no different in his memory. She sighs, however, and from the perspective I have now, I realize what her expression looks like. It's longing.

The vision, the memory, Matt’s thought... whatever it is, it fades away. No one seems to have noticed, except Neriah and Arkarian, who are clearly reading my thoughts while trying to maintain the conversation. I nod, slowly.

I know how lonely mom had been. She hadn't exactly made it a secret, even though she has never allowed us to worry about her too much. Still. It makes me smile, seeing the dining room now, full of people. I know it's exactly what mom had been missing when we were kids.

_'And yet, we all know she will flip if anyone decides to bring up kids, anyway,'_ I think, mostly to myself, though it makes Neriah grin.

They don't get to answer, however, because mom finishes setting up everything and the game starts, and soon enough we stop thinking about the dining room, the past, or children at all.

It's nice to just... spend time together, without powers, or duties, or the impending loom of war above us. I cheat as obviously as I can, and they all let it fly, because Arkarian is winning anyway, and they're having a lot of fun seeing me come up with stupid reasonings for my cheating. It's still relatively new, having everyone over, and it's warm, and it's all terribly domestic.

It's family, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed my story :D
> 
> If you did, please consider leaving kudos or a comment, they're greatly appreciated!
> 
> If you’d like to create related content based on my fic, please visit my profile for my blanket permission statement!
> 
> If you want to yell with me and share more headcanons for these dorks, you can find me at my tumblr, [lenalawlipop](https://lenalawlipop.tumblr.com/), the comments section down below, or any of the links in my profile. Don't be shy!
> 
> Love,
> 
> ~Lena


End file.
